Caray, Caray!

• Judge Miranda and prosecutor Sonia discussed the Ibarra case, which Judge Miranda will preside over.
  
• Susanna catered the meeting at Vega, for which Juan was quite proud. Alonso and Gustavo pulled out the information for review.
  
• Natalia crawled into Elena's bed next to her, saying she wanted her father to stay with them all the time. Elena tried to figure out what to say to her.
  
• At the same time at the bar, the lawyers talked about the case, with Alejandra confident that Adolfo and Gustavo would win the case against the Durantes. Roberto called for celebratory drinks.
  
• Elena told Natalia that she would talk to Ricardo but also to promise that she will not be sad no matter what happens. Leticia arrived to visit and when Natalia left to go to bed Elena told Leticia that during her convalescence she confused Ricardo's attentions as meaning that there was a possibility of reconciliation. He had finally told her he was in love with Alejandra. She did not know what to do.
  
• Considering her past history, Leticia's advice could have gone either way. We're willing to bet that Leticia told her to finally give up the race.
  
• The following morning the fraud case against Ramiro Durantes began. Gustavo spoke of the issues presented to him by his clients while Durantes' defense attorney claimed that his client was innocent and had acted in good faith. Alonso and Gustavo questioned what happned to the money paid out by their clients. Their clients' spokeswoman testified that she and her neighbors paid the money to the defendant by way of bank transfers but no work had been done. Adolfo described this as an abuse of confidence. Ramiro glared through this.
  
• Olivia told Alejandra of the difficulty of the Acosta divorce because they didn't know how to find the adulterous jerk in addition to his assets having been frozen. She was also concerned about her client because she hadn't yet found a job. Alejandra suggested filing a motion to get his assets released only for the purpose of payng the maintenance to Karina for herself and her child. Leonardo then arrived with Olivia's favorite capuccino.
  
• The defense attorney muddied the waters by claiming that this case was being confused with the political issue Alonso had with his client's brother, but Alonso brought up that the two situations were related.
  
• Ricardo brought Elena home from the doctor's office; her left arm was still in the sling, but she was on the mend. Ricardo then said that since that was the case it was time for him to go home to his own apartment. She gave him the “little girl lost” look with a “Don't tell me you're leaving?” comment.
  
• The judge was about to give his verdict when defense counsel said that the money was in the hands of Benjamín Acosta. Ramiro said that Acosta had offered his services to launder the money by putting it into foreign investments. Then his attorney brought up the incriminating video that Joaquin Durantes claimed to have received anonymously and brought to the television interview. He placed the disc on the judge's desk. The judge then sentenced Ramiro to seven years in prison. However, if they could not recover the money the sentence would be twelve years. The judge then issued an arrest warrant for Benjamín. Ramiro then yelled “You will be sorry for this” as the prison guards led him away.
  Jaime congratulated Alonso and Gustavo. Their client asked if they could get their money back and they told her they could once Benjamín had been arrested. Gustavo commented to Alonso that this arrest will be difficult on Benjamín.
  
• Alonso did look concerned, but most likely not for Benjamín. In his usual manner, he was concerned for his firm and the other lawyers.
  
• Leonardo was on a long-distance phone call speaking in English regarding an attractive offer. Roberto entered just as he hung up and he talked about how life was good, he was in love with Olivia, she was the woman for him, and he was shocked he had wasted so much time before finding this out. He asked for help on something and Roberto said he could count on him 100%.
  
• Someone met Joaquin Durantes for lunch and gave him the bad news about what happened in court. He did not take it well. His informant told him that Alonso had the assistance of another of his lawyers and he named Gustavo Soto.
  
• Alonso and Gustavo went back to the office and announced their win, but also that Benjamín was going to be arrested. He advised Leticia to be careful of him and she said not to worry about her. That her only mistake was having fallen in love with Benjamín. She left the conference room. Victoria said not to worry; Leticia was strong. Meeting ajourned and everyone went back to work.
  
• Carlos took a call from El Ciego, who said he had good news. It was more money to be laundered.
  
• Carmen ushered two detectives into Leticia's office and asked if she wanted one of the other lawyers to be there. She declined, saying she could handle this herself. Carmen left and the two detectives asked Leticia about her relationship with Benjamín and she described him as a colleague. At their prompting she denied that it was anything more than that. They then asked her to explain the bank tansfers made to her account.
• Roberto interrupted Victoria at work to flirt and she told him if he competed with her work he would always lose to it. He came in to ask her for help with something.
  
• When Leticia saw the bank records she declined to answer any more questions without another lawyer being present. Since she had previously declined Carmen's offer to get another lawyer the police became suspicious. She disavowed any knowledge of Benjamín's criminal activities.
  
• Ricardo congratulated Gustavo, who then reminded him that the bigger case against Jacinto Durantes was to come. He also then told him that he was on the brink of getting his family back. Ricardo told him in return that while things were better with Elena that this was not going to happen with him.
  
• Victoria had revealed Roberto's plan to Alejandra who was all for it. She agreed to help. Olivia came in and they asked her to accompany them to an event involving a client. Just for a little while. She finally agreed.
  
  Later Olivia met the others at Victoria's apartment and off they went.
  
• At dinner that evening Ricardo quizzed the children on their schoolwork as Elena realized that there wouldn't be more evenings like this. When Ricardo said it was time for him to return to his apartment Natalia asked why not a few more days like he promised.
  
• Exactly as Elena had hoped. She had been looking for another opportunity, but this one seemed to require no more manipulation.
  
• The ladies arrived at the appointed place to be greeted by Roberto, who told Olivia this had nothing to do with the other ladies' invitation.
  
  As she entered the other room Roberto left with Victoria and Alejandra so that Olivia was alone in the private dining room with Leonardo, a lot of flowers, and... the engagement ring.
  
  He proposed marriage on his knees.
  
• Ricardo explained to the children that his presence had been to help their mother and not to reconcile with her. They were divorced, which was better for everyone. The kids managed to get him to stay one more night and they would be up all night playing with him.
  
• Elena looked as though she had finally faced this reality. She had no more fight in her to keep a man who did not want to be with her anymore.
  
• Olivia accepted and Leonardo had never smiled that broadly before.
  
  Not much else was said.
  
• And the staff later reported that not much of the food had been eaten.
  
• Gustavo and Luis sat down to dinner, which Isabel had prepared to celebrate Luis' win at soccer and Gustavo's win in court. Both Isabel and Luis were very proud of Gustavo, the boy comparing him to a superhero.
  
• It was the perfect family dinner in the Soto home. One could entirely forget that Milena had ever existed.
  
• Benjamín arrived at Leticia's apartment, uninvited as usual. He walked right in and she told him he was in big trouble because the police had an arrest warrant. She told him that Ramiro had implicated him in the fraud case and the police had come to her office. She told him he had to return the money and he refused to. This was his revenge. She told him to leave and he tried to persuade her to go with him and the money. She looked as though she were very tempted.
  
• While Leticia's own greed had been a driving force in her relationship with Benjamín, she was no fool. She knew when the jig was up and her finish line came before she could be further implicated.
  
• Joaquin Durantes met with El Ciego and El Gato in a parking garage and handed over a metal briefcase with its customary contents. He told El Ciego he wanted revenge on Alonso Vega. El Ciego told him it would be very expensive, which did not phase Durantes. He handed him his instructions and El Ciego asked for more information.
  
• Benjamín pleaded with Leticia to go with him and she refused. She had no desire to live like a fugitive. This was not the kind of life she ever wanted. He had all the money in cash, but that did not matter. He opened the door and almost shouted at her to come with him, but he didn't stand a chance. The same detectives were outside with SWAT team members and the warrant.
  
  There were no photo finishes in these races. Ramiro will serve at least seven years for fraud, but if Benjamín doesn't reveal where the money is he will serve twelve. There is the chance, though, that he will turn on Carlos, who is still running his own race against the law he claimed to love. He may not be guilty of murder, but he is certainly involved in the money laundering. Elena has lost the race for Ricardo's heart and she seemed to know it. Olivia and Leonardo have won the race against future lonliness. Alonso and Gustavo won their case, but the war is not over yet. Until next we meet Behind Mansion Walls, I'm Christopher Mason.

Labels: ley

Permalink posted by Urban Anthropologist @ 6:28 AM