I'm
Christopher Mason. In patriarchal societies it has always been
difficult for women to be taken seriously when they take charge of
their lives and other situations. The female attorneys at Vega and
Associates know this all too well. It doesn't stop them. However,
there are others who do things that cause setbacks for all women on
the move.
I'm
Candice DeLong. It wasn't easy being a female FBI Agent; I even
wrote a book about it. But being accused of a crime is far worse.
Ricardo
introduced Gustavo to Javier, who said they needed to review the
information they had on the case. Gustavo told him that there wasn't
much and that with Jacinto Dorantes dead they had less of a chance of
finding out. Javier said that there would have to be another way.
Ricardo left them alone to discuss this.
Victoria
sang some of Adrián's praises and Roberto said “Yes, I read your
profile.” He made some comment on this before telling Victoria
about the nasty surprise in the courtroom. She was a little
incredulous and asked whether he thought this was true. Roberto said
he didn't know, but if Julio is guilty that this would be a major
blow to Raquel. “Such things hurt even more when the guilty person
is someone close,” he said. He then turned to Adrián,
deliberately calling him by the wrong name. When Victoria corrected
him he shook Adrián's hand and excused himself to get back to work.
Victoria watched his exit out of the corner of her eye.
Ricardo
wrapped up a call from Natalia just as Sofia entered his office to
discuss her arguments in Miriam's case. He started looking them
over.
Raquel
visited Julio in the lockup. He had been issued a prison uniform
(khaki for pre-conviction) and begged her to get him out. She asked
him to swear that what she heard in court wasn't true. He swore to
her that he didn't know his accuser and that the lawyers weren't
good. She contradicted him on the latter point and demanded that he
tell her what he had done. He told her he had done nothing and
didn't know the criminal who lied about him and Eva. She then began
thinking that Eva was responsible, that she made him do it which he
denied, saying that she was as innocent as he was. That was why she
“had to” get him out. She said that if he is telling the truth
this will all correct itself.
He swore he was and that she had to
get him out as fast as possible.
Ricardo
told Sofia her points were solid. She asked him about his children
and saw the pain on his face. She then said that hopefully the case
will be solved and they can come back soon. She thanked him for his
help and left his office. He got back to work.
Javier
suggested that they look at video from the security cameras of the
country club where Gustavo had been that day with his family. He was
hoping to spot suspects in them. Gustavo agreed and tried to get him
to agree to give all new information to him first. He agreed, but
wanted to know why. Gustavo said he wanted to trap the killers
before they could get away and not let the police make mistakes like
they did when they let Carlos go.
Javier
probably thought Gustavo was deranged.
Roberto
dropped in on Ricardo to talk about Adrián and his manner gave his
jealousy away, although he tried to deny it. He invited Ricardo to
join him and Juan for drinks later.
Alejandra
looked out the window of her hotel suite and sat down to do some
paperwork. She then went to court.
Carlos
and Alan were working late that night when El Ciego walked in on them
with a henchman He told Carlos he wanted to talk to him alone. Alan
took the hint and left the office, the henchman following him out and
closing the door.
He watched his boss and Carlos through the plate
glass window. El Ciego told Carlos that he had come to talk to him
regarding a delicate matter that he needed to tell him in person. He
then told him sotto voce that Jaime was kidnapped on orders
from Jacinto Dorantes. Carlos then took the leap that El Ciego had
to have ordered Dorantes' murder.
El Ciego did not reply, but picked
up Carlos' framed photo of Alejandra, saying that he had to pay
because he (himself) always thought family to be sacred.
Carlos
shouted that Dorantes was about to do a long prison stretch for his
deeds and wasn't that enough? El Ciego said no. “You're my
friend, and I always help my friends.” He went on about how he
just wanted to let him know what he did for him.
Carlos became
increasingly uneasy at this but said nothing.
El
Ciego's thug should not have been permitted past the front door based
on the violation of the building's dress code. As for El Ciego it
was difficult to determine whether he was unhinged or just pulling
the strings again.
Ricardo,
Roberto, and Juan went out for drinks. Roberto explained about the
surprise they got in court that day and Ricardo suggested that they
needed a distraction.
Alan
was initially incredulous but realistically agitated at Carlos' news
about El Ciego, because Carlos was now indebted to him. He asked why
he borrowed the money from him and Carlos said he had no other
choice. Alan blamed this on Carlos' obsession with Alejandra and
Carlos told him he can't understand this. Alan told him that this
made no sense. Carlos suggested they go out for a drink; he was
feeling very tense.
While
Fernanda and Susanna drank freshly squeezed orange juice and talked
about Juan, he was having booze with his colleagues at the bar. The
conversation had gone back to Roberto's jealousy. Juan kept quiet
while Ricardo told Roberto that Victoria won't like a problem over
such a thing. Carlos and Alan walked into the same area and stopped.
Alan suggested that they go elsewhere but Carlos insisted on
speaking to Ricardo. He called him by his last name, as though he
were challenging him to a duel. When Ricardo returned the favor
Carlos told him that Jaime was free thanks to him. Ricardo said that
it was due to Alejandra's negotiation effort. Carlos countered that
he had no idea what he had done for Alejandra and – as Alan
probably anticipated – this turned into an argument over Alejandra
that almost became physical.
Alan and Roberto broke it up with Alan
leading Carlos away to another area. As Ricardo and colleagues
returned to their table he told them that had he been the one about
to marry Alejandra he wouldn't have cheated on her.
Alejandra
took out her cell and was about to call Ricardo when Victoria called
her. She asked how things were going and Alejandra described Jacob.
The case was complicated but his violent nature made her more
determined to get the children away from him.
Victoria said to call
on her for help if she needed it. She then started talking about
Adrián in a tone of voice Alejandra recognized very well.
Juan
told Ricardo that Carlos was always looking to provoke him and he was
better than that. Ricardo told them that Alejandra didn't love
Carlos and Roberto counter-accused Ricardo of jealousy or why would
anything Carlos said bother him? Ricardo said he would have to keep
Alejandra far away from Carlos. Roberto then said that he now
understood why Justice is represented as a woman: “If you don't
fight for her, you don't win.” They may not have noticed then that
Carlos was at a table close enough to overhear them.
Carlos
finished his drink and said that if it were not for “that imbecile
Bustamante” nothing would have changed between himself and
Alejandra. Alan tried to tell him to give it up, but Carlos was
determined to get Alejandra back. He felt that he had an advantage
in that Ricardo did not accompany her to Texas and thought that
Alejandra was confused about what she wanted. He ordered another
round of drinks and Alan told the waiter to make his a double.
He
had conveniently forgotten that she broke up with him over his
cheating on her the night before their wedding. Not to mention that
Patricia's murder was still an open police case.
Juan
had a hangover the following morning and took some harsh words from
his mother over his coming home in the wee small hours of the
morning. The worst of that was that Fernanda had been waiting for
him. She didn't like that he was neglecting Fernanda and told him
how ashamed she was. He had not intended for this to be so and
likely felt guilty.
Alejandra
went to the hospital to talk to the doctor who treated Miriam in the
emergency room. However, the doctor saw about twenty patients per
day and couldn't be expected to remember them all. Also, she
couldn't give her the records because they were confidential.
At
the Vega office Sofia asked Carmen if there were any documents from
Alejandra which she needed for court. Carmen checked her e-mail and
told her there were none. Sofia had a court date and became anxious.
Carmen offered to call Alejandra but Sofia tried and got no answer.
She had to rush off to court without the documents so she told Carmen
to wish her luck.
Alejandra
explained Miriam's situation to the doctor and begged for her help.
Raquel
went to Roberto's office more anxious than ever. She had been unable
to sleep and could not stop thinking about what had happened in
court. No matter how many times she thought about it she still could
not believe that her nephew was a killer. She begged Roberto to get
him out of jail and prove that the killer was lying. Roberto said he
was working on it then asked questions about Julio. She told them
that Julio had a band and they had made six demos. He wanted his
father to promote them. He was not yet a working musician. As to
Eva they had been dating for three years and saw a lot of each other
and things had been good except for the usual couples issues. Juan
asked whether there had been a problem between them. She said she
knew of none, then asked whether they thought she was behind all
this. Roberto said he didn't know but if she were, she would have to
pay for her crimes.
Carlos
interviewed Nancy Muñoz, who opened with all manner of flattering
commentary about his reputation.
She had experience working in penal
institutions and was looking for the right experience while working
alone.
Perhaps
to his credit Carlos kept his eye on her resume when she was dressed
to draw his attention elsewhere.
Jennifer
Lopez has shown less than that on the red carpet.
Raquel
begged them once again to get Julio out of jail. Roberto told her
they would need more information. She was to call them with anything
she remembers, however small it may be. She took her leave. When
Juan closed the door behind her and sat down they talked about how
desperate she was to prove Julio innocent. Roberto said he was
certain that Julio was hiding something. Juan said that the
strangest thing was Julio's reaction. They had to put themselves in
his place. Roberto said that if he were losing his parents the last
things he would think about were bills, debts, or life insurance.
Juan agreed, then asked about The Girlfriend. Roberto told him to
get phone records of calls and text messages between Julio and Eva,
then they needed to question them separately.
Sonia
and Samuel entered the courtroom. Miriam was brought into the
holding cell. Sofia told her that there was a chance she would be
released but she would have to remember every incident of violencein
detail. She was presenting a self-defense case. Miriam was afraid
and ashamed, but Sofia told her that the only shame belonged to her
husband. Sofia's cell phone signaled a message and she left the
courtroom for a moment.
Carlos
wrapped up his interview. He told her that he had other candidates
to see and would let her know. He also told her that they have all
kinds of cases at his firm. She seemed to know that and said that
this is why she was interested in working there. She knew about his
defense of El Ciego and the wife of Armando Ruiz and said that it
proved the firm would present a good defense for anyone who needed
it.
She told him she was accustomed to dealing with “all kinds of
people” and was therefore the best candidate for the firm. He
asked when she could begin if he chose her and she said she had one
case pending but as soon as it was concluded. She said he would not
regret hiring her and she would do “everything you ask of me.”
Alan walked in without knocking and apologized.
Carlos stopped his
retreat and introduced them. He told Alan that Nancy was joining the
firm and asked him to show her files on their open cases. He told
her welcome, she stepped out into the hall
and he gave his verbal
approval of Carlos' decision on his way out.
The
most important question at the moment is with whom Nancy will be
desecrating this firm's desks.
Based
on her body language with Carlos she must be dying to examine his
briefs.
Sofia
returned with a file folder, the judge entered, and the proceedings
began. The prosecutor displayed the fireplace shovel in its evidence
bag and laid it on the judge's desk before calling Samuel to the
witness chair. He was sworn in and the prosecutor began by asking
what happened. Samuel said he was out of the house, taking his niece
and nephew for ice cream. When he returned it had all happened. He
was asked whether hid brother-in-law was alright when he left and
said that he was a bit bothered but alright. “And when you
returned he was dead?” “Yes.” “Your sister killed him?”
“They fought, and when I returned I saw him like that.” The
prosecutor thanked him and said that was all. He then said that the
defendant's fingerprints were on the weapon along with the victim's
DNA. He asked for the appropriate sentence. The judge asked the
defense to present its case.
She handed the judge a forensic report
and photos f Miriam's injuries which had been taken when she was
arrested, stating that if she had not reacted as she did she would be
dead by now. The prosecutor asked why she had not called the police
and Sofia asked how could she do so while she was being beaten?
Roberto
gave Victoria a bottle of her favorite expensive intoxicant as a
replacement for what he drank at her place. She thanked him but said
it was not necessary. He said it was a token of affection. She
pointed out his annoyance when he walked in on her and Adrián. He
sat down and asked her to dine with him and he wasn't taking No for
an answer. She agreed and he kissed her hand.
Based
on how she started out with Adrián, is this really where she's going
with Roberto? I can see her drawing this out a little longer still.
Sofia
asked Samuel if he was aware of the problems in his sister's
marriage. He replied that he knew it wasn't good but didn't know
everything. She asked if that was why she wanted to hide at his home
and why she didn't want to be with her husband. He replied that this
was true and that he didn't want her to return to the US with him.
Sofia told the judge that her client was looking to end the circle of
violence. The prosecutor said that killing the husband was not the
best way. Sofia said that her client claims self-defense and
requests release to recover her children and put her life in order.
Her children had been taken by her husband's brother, a man as
violent as his brother.
The children needed to be with their mother
and for this she requested Miriam's release. The judge removed his
glasses and looked at Sofia.
Juan
went to see Elisa at the courthouse to put in a request for the cell
phone records of Julio and Eva. She was aware of some of the
particulars of the case and made a comment about their possible
guilt. Juan told her that they didn't know whether or not they had
done the crime but that the cell phone records would say so if they
had. She told him she would mark the request “urgent” and he
thanked her.
The
prosecutor said that the defendant picked up a metal object to defend
herself with. Sofia asked to question her client. The judge allowed
her to. She was sworn in and Sofia's questioins began. She testified
that her marriage was good in the beginning but her husband's
jealousy became an issue. It began at a community fourth of July
celebration.
She began crying as she described putting up
decorations with the children and he became aggressive and violent,
which became worse when they got home. It was because one of his
friends went over to ask her something. He began insulting her in
front of the children and it got worse from there.
Inspector
Quiróz came to Ricardo's office regarding the death of Jacinto
Dorantes. It had happened shortly before breakfast and nobody saw
anything suspicious. He was sure that they knew and nobody was
talking, noting that corruption had many faces.
However, he had an
image of one of the possible killers of Gustavo's family, which he
handed to Ricardo.
Denial
is a dangerous thing and Raquel will be in for a world of pain very
soon. A pain even worse than Miriam's.
Indeed.
She is about to face a very harsh reality. Roberto and Juan should
have a psychiatrist standing by for her. However, Nancy will also
have an interesting reality to discover at Carlos' firm, especially
if she allows either him or Alan to capitalize her assets. Until
next we meet Behind the Walls of Justice, I'm Christopher Mason.
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