I'm
Christopher Mason. No matter who we are, rich or poor, we are
shocked when we realize that there are killers among us. Evil can be
greedy, lustful, or vengeful, but it is often banal. It is often
hidden for long periods of time before being discovered. Yet, no
matter how many tales we hear of in the news we are shocked every
time.
I'm
Candice DeLong. Evil can disguise itself in many ways. It can
appear to you with the face of innocence and say “I love you.”
It has no conscience.
In
the morning staff meeting Alonso introduced Adrián to the rest of
the firm, less Roberto and Juan who were still at the police station.
They welcomed him to the firm. He told them he was also licensed to
practice in the USA, and Alejandra told him she was about to go there
on a client's behalf. He offered his help if she needed it.
Carlos
was still with his client at the police station; he told him to say
nothing. Sonia entered to talk with him about the charges. He said
he knew how she operated: Arrest first and investigate later. She
said that worked. They started arguing, as she had been leading the
charge against him when he had been in jail on suspicion of murder.
She said they still hadn't caught the killer, but she always
suspected him. She now had no intention of allowing his present
client to go free. He argued that she only had one (unclear)
description of the suspect. She said the suspect had an attitude
problem. He began asking “What attitude?”. Carlos got behind him
and put his hand on his shoulder, letting him know he needed to shut
up. He told her she was holding him unjustly and that his client had
no intention of leaving the country. She told him back that he would
be locked up for at least thirty-six hours while evidence was being
collected and examined. He told her she could find any evidence she
could and to call him with his client free. She conceded, but also
began wondering why he was defending so minor criminals lately and
said she would find out the reason. He walked out with his client.
Roberto
and Juan were on their way out when they saw Carlos with his client.
Roberto was surprised, as he knew that Carlos was elitist and
typically represented people with serious money. Juan commented that
this client didn't look like one. They walked out without
interacting with Carlos.
This
change in Carlos' client list couldn't possibly go unnoticed for
long. The entire department must have seen this by now.
Susanna
and Fernanda decorated the cake for the the celebration dinner.
Susanna loved that the food was being prepared with love. Fernanda
confided that she was very much in love with Juan.
Ricardo
came to Alejandra's office to wish her well on her custody case. He
was unable to come to help her because he was needed at the office.
He said they should spend more time together when she came back.
They embraced.
Julio
and Eva stood at the picture window where she was stroking his hair
and staring into his eyes. Raquel paced, saying she was waiting for
the lawyer to come over. The doorbell rang and Julio told her not to
answer.
When she opened the door Roberto and Juan came in, followed
by several plainclothes police. Roberto told her they had come for
Julio and that this was part of the investigation.
The prosecutor
read Julio the charges and his rights and Roberto told Julio to say
nothing.
Raquel protested, saying this couldn't be, it was a
mistake, etc. Roberto told her not to worry; he would take care of
it. Julio kept saying he was innocent. Roberto said they would
gather the evidence to prove Julio was innocent.
The police cuffed
Julio and led him out.
Most
convictions are based on circumstantial evidence. The fact that
Julio and Eva were looking to leave Mexico should be very telling.
A
lawyer named Téllez went to see Alan for more money, saying that his
silence was worth more than he had been paying. Alan told him he was
crazy, but he told him that they both knew that Pedro was innocent of
Patricia's murder. If he wanted to appeal his sentence he could.
With resentment, Alan took a checkbook out the desk and wrote him
one. He said it was sufficient... for the moment.
Since
Alan has not been a rainmaker in this firm, he will not be able to
continue paying blackmail installments forever. He has not shown
himself to launder money without drawing suspicion.
Julio
was put in the police car, protesting his innocence all the way.
Roberto told him to say nothing. Raquel was sure that this was a
misunderstanding. They pulled away and Eva went on about finding the
killers.
Roberto tried to reassure Raquel and Juan reminded him they
needed to follow the police back to the station. Raquel went inside
to get her purse.
Carlos
went back to his office in a foul mood because of Sonia being on the
case. She had also been watching his class of clients and he was
sure she had it in for him. Alan said this had to change. He had
been looking for a new lawyer among the people working for the state
so they would have someone who knew how to work the system. Carlos
said he would talk to her.
Raquel
was crying as Roberto came back out. He had talked with the district
attorney and all the evidence had been submitted for examination.
Raquel could not believe that anyone would think that Julio killed
his parents. She asked Roberto if he thought Julio was hiding
something and he said he didn't; he was arrested to get his attention,
gather evidence, and prove his innocence.
Raquel became hysterical
and Juan shook her a little to get her back to reality. She said she
would not lose her nephew to a false murder charge. Roberto told her
to calm down and trust them.
In
San Antonio, Texas, Alejandra took a call from Carlos who wanted to
take her out to dinner. She explained she was out of town on a
custody case, all the while taking clothes out of her suitcase and
hanging them in the closet. He was very disappointed and she told him
that their relationship had ended a long time ago. He said he wasn't
used to the idea of that yet and that he doubted he would get used to
it.
Ricardo
went to Gustavo's house to discover that he hadn't been getting any
better. He prevented him from pouring a shot of tequila. Gustavo
went on about having nothing to live for and Ricardo tried to get him
to understand that he has reasons to live because there were people
out there who needed him. He suggested that he come back to his
place for a while.
Fernanda
called Juan, who was still at the police station waiting for copies
of documents. He said he didn't know how long he would have to wait
and she shouldn't wait up for him. He's see her the next day. She
was disappointed as she ended the call. Susanna told her that there
would be good and bad days ahead and tried to get her to be more
optimistic. She put the cake in the new refrigerator and told her
gently to get some rest.
Roberto
went to Julio's cell and told them they needed to prepare for the
next day. Julio kept saying he didn't do anything; Roberto said he
would have to be very honest with him. They were going before a
judge who would ask all sorts of questions. Mattias had said some
very specific things about him. Julio hit the bars. Roberto asked
whether he knew “Mattias” and Julio gave a non-answer. Roberto
said he had to know whatever he was hiding and Julio denied hiding
anything. Roberto told him that he was going to help him but he
needed the truth. Julio told him “What I told you and my aunt is
the only truth.” Roberto then said, “Very well. I will see you
tomorrow in court.” Julio begged him to get him out of the cell.
Roberto stared, but did not answer.
Roberto
had to know that Julio wasn't being honest about any of this. He
didn't pass the bar exam yesterday.
The
following morning Juan drank his coffee and told his mother he had
only had two hours' sleep. The case had taken him by surprise. He
told her that it appeared that Julio had planned the deaths of his
parents. This shocked her and she crossed herself. He didn't know
the reason for this yet, but had to get to court. Susanna then told
him that Fernanda had planned a surprise dinner and a cake for him
the night before and he felt bad about this, saying he would have
come home sooner had he known. He decided to take her out to
someplace special and then was out the door.
Sofia
met with Miriam. She made it clear that she understood the cycle of
violence and managed to put her at ease and gave her a pep talk about
fighting for her children.
In
the courtroom Roberto questioned the man who made the emergency call.
He testified that when he arrived on the scene the victim looked
very badly wounded. Julio appeared to be in shock after the attack.
He said that it looked odd to him because Julio was doing nothing for
his father; he had appeared to be more worried about his dog.
Roberto asked what he did next and the man said he had called
emergency services. He remained there until the ambulance arrived,
then went with the police to give his statement. Mattias was in the
holding cell.
Raquel
and Eva watched; Eva was in her adult Wednesday Addams look, complete
with center-parted hair. The witness went on to say that the boy's
behavior was odd in that he didn't get near his father, as though he
was leaving him to die alone.
Raquel looked a combination of shocked
and confused; Eva looked as creepy as ever. Roberto said that this
was a subjective judgement and that his client is traumatized. The
prosecutor suggested that Julio be placed in prisión preventiva
for the remainder of the investigation. Roberto protested that his
client was innocent.
The judge asked whether he had any further
questions and Roberto said he had none. The prosecutor asked to
question Julio. The judge allowed it and had Julio brought into the
room.
Raquel and Eva both looked behind them.
Julio entered the
room and would not look at them as he was led to the witness chair.
He was sworn in. The first question was about his relationship with
his parents. He said it was good.
He was asked whether he was sad
at their deaths and Julio answered he was. He was then asked why he
didn't try to help his father during the attack.
He answered that he
was afraid of getting hurt himself. He said that it all happened
very fast. “It couldn't have been that fast; your father was
stabbed twenty times.” Roberto started to object. Julio said it
was very fast, there were two of them, and he didn't know what he
could do. He was paralyzed. He then looked like he was about to
cry.
What
did Julio major in in school? If it was drama he flunked out.
Alejandra
had the desk clerk call a cab for her, then spoke with Sofia. She
had met with Miriam and gotten a court date for the next day.
She
told Alejandra she would need the medical records from when Miriam
had been hospitalized. Alejandra told her she would get those, then
got into her cab.
The
prosecutor asked Julio why he was in such a hurry about the life
insurance payout, as he had gone to the company the next day. He
answered that there were a lot of bills to be paid to help his
mother. The prosecutor asked how he was thinking to help his mother.
He said to get the monry to help his mother. The prosecutor then
asked why he did the exact same thing the day after his mother's
death. He said that he had no money. The prosecutor said that was
an interesting coincidence and Roberto got up and said that this is
an issue of interpretation. He said that if the prosecutor had proof
of his hypothesis he should show it. The prosecutor said that was
all. The judge had Julio sit in the back while Juan questioned
Mattias. He was sworn in and Juan asked why he did this crime.
He
hesitated, then said he was contracted to do it. Juan asked who
hired him. He pointed to Eva and said “It was her. Julio's
girlfriend.” Eva got up and said it was a lie.
Raquel was in
shock. Roberto looked back.
Eva looked aside, as though she could
not face the others.
Julio jumped out of his chair, screaming that
this was a lie. He went over to the holding cell and was held back
by a policeman.
The judge warned him that if he did not behave he
would be removed from the courtroom.
Mattias then told the judge
directly that he had been called to do the crime and had to meet
Eva,who then denied knowing him. Mattias accused her of pursuing
Julio for his money. He called her a hypocrite.
The judge rapped
for silence.
Jaime
came into the office and talked with Alonso about Dorantes. They
needed to find out who his killer was.
Juan
asked Mattias what payment he was referring to. He answered that Eva
contacted him and his partner and that a young man paid half the
money up front. Juan asked where this person was and he said he
couldn't say. Juan told him to tell everything he knew. He
described a go-between whom he called El Tito and that he and Eva
helped set up the crime. He then said that Julio and Eva paid and
explained where to find his father and that they let them in the
house to kill his mother. Raquel looked as though she was about to
lose her mind.
Eva shook her head, but not with any confidence, and
Julio avoided everyone's eyes.
Alejandra
went to Jacob's home, where Miriam's children were upset. They
wanted to be with their mother. Jacob came in, put down his beer
bottle, and told them to stop crying. “Your mother is in jail.
She's not getting out. I know – ” He opened the door and
Alejandra entered and introduced herself.
She explained that she was
there to bring the children to their mother. He ordered the children
to go into the next room.
She presented the document, which he tore
up. She told him that this was only a copy and she had the certified
original signed by officials in both countries.
She told him that
the children could stay with one close maternal relative.
He got
nasty with her, calling Miriam and her criminals. She told him that
if he did not cooperate this would get very ugly for him.
Julio
knelt before the judge's desk and said this was all lies. Mattias
said that Julio had told him where to find his father. Julio ran up
to the holding cell and yelled at him to tell the truth, but then was
restrained by the police. The judge then asked the police to arrest
Eva Guttierez.
She claimed she had done nothing, then pointed the
finger at Julio.
Finally, the judge rapped for silence, said that
there was adequate evidence to arrest Eva as an accomplice and Julio
as the mastermind. He would sentence all three at a date to be
determined. Court was adjourned and Raquel could not believe all
this. She looked at Julio and said it had to be a mistake. He said
nothing and couldn't even face her as he was led away.
This
is a case that a jury member would write a book about.
Alejandra
told Jacob that he can't threaten her. He told her not to waste her
time and to leave.
She started for the next room but he tried to
stop her by pulling out his gun and pointing it at her. She told him
she was sure the children were there against their will and he almost
laughed. “They're only kids!” She told him that they were old
enough to decide whom they wanted to live with and that had to be
respected. She remained calm enough to make him even more angry. He
tried pulling a non-existent race card again. She told him he had to
know that she had only killed in self-defense, which he would not
accept. He ordered her to leave and she told him to stop pointing
the gun at her. She told him she knew of his criminal record and
that the judge would take this very seriously. He put the gun into
the front of his pants, but said that the judge would not release the
children to a murderer like their mother. He would protect them.
She said, “Yes; he'll protect them from a violent man like you.
I'll see you in court.”
She left and he looked at the wall that he
felt gave him rights over anything else.
Jacob
Robbins is the sort of man who could make one ashamed of being
American.
Ricardo
spoke with Javier Rivas to acquaint him with the case regarding the
murder of Gustavo's family and showed him the file they had on it.
Victoria
and Adrián talked about his trajectory from his student days and
shuttling back and forth between the USA and Mexico. He said he's
staying in Mexico because he loves it there. They talked about
handling criminal cases. They're on the same page.
Yes,
but of what kind of book?
Javier
talked about examining the forensic evidence, particularly the
bullets removed from the car and the bodies. He suspected some kind
of organized crime involvement because of the size and power of the
weapons involved. Ricardo told him he'd get that and.... asked if he
was interested in joining the firm. A few sentences later they shook
hands.
Adrián
was showing Victoria a photo of his mother on his cell phone, telling
her that she lived in Madrid and was an excellent cook. She
commented on how beautiful she was how she loved Spanish food. He
mentioned he knew a great restaurant in the area and would like to
take her to dinner sometime. Roberto came back and Victoria
introduced them.
Roberto shook hands with his new colleague and when
he saw her face probably realized that there was other significance
to finding him in Victoria's office.
Julio
and Eva will not likely see freedom for a long time. And if they
survive whatever their sentences will be they will be pariahs.
There
are examples in criminal history of people who get away with murder
for long periods of time. The killers of Gustavo Soto's family could
be among them if Ramiro doesn't talk. Or dies. He exists in a sea of
possible killers. Alan Paez is a killer in a law firm who now has to
watch his back. His blackmailer will not go away. Miriam faces a
difficult situation that will have both race and class issues against
a decorated Marine who is clearly a psychopath. Justice will need to
be swift in her situation. Until next we meet Behind the Walls of
Justice, I'm Christopher Mason.
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