Caray, Caray!

*Christopher and Candace have the night off. They will be back on Tuesday. Here to observe and report is your very poor substitute narrator. There’s a lot to cover tonight, so fasten your beanies and watch out for those Plot Propeller blades.

*The Vick and Bobby Show(down) has been added at the end. The verdict is neither of them won.
 

*It’s evening, but Nancy and Carlos have work to do. El Ciego made Carlos an offer he can’t refuse--get his favorite Billy Goat out of jail. El Chivo is looking at charges of homicide, caught with a gun in his hand.

They reach the police station. They have come to see the file on their client, Jesús Rodriguez. Nancy hangs onto Carlos’ every word and arm. She smooches him bye-bye and tells Carlos to have faith in her. Carlos (a little rattled by the smooch) says this is a very important case and he’ll see her in the morning. Nancy gets to talk to Officer Alvarez about the shooting. He is certain of what he saw—the accused with a gun in hand. She wants to know how many were there. Alvarez says lots, they scattered. Nancy says holding a gun does not connect her client to the shooting. He should only be charged with possessing a gun. The officer mentions how convenient that would be for her client. Nancy ignores him and moves right on. She’ll be going over the records of the case carefully and may ask Internal Affairs to check his record as an officer. She indicates he merely has to tell the truth—that he only saw her client holding a gun. Alvarez wants to know what’s in it for him. Hmmm. Nancy considers the possibility—maybe a year’s salary for just one night?

*Next day

*Ale stops to talk to Alicia, who is visiting Paula, regarding the contract. It would be prudent to go over some of the details with Gilberto before moving forward. Alicia is open about it and when Gilberto returns Alicia will have him get in touch. [ed. note: According to Thursday’s episode Gilberto is out of the country??? Maybe he has skipped out.]

*Juan checks out new cars. He would need more money. The salesman can finance it, if his credit is good. Juan isn’t certain whether mami will sit in front or Fer will. Juan’s eyes sparkle at the thought—no more taking taxis to chase down leads or taking Fer out to dinner.

*Rob and Adrian seek out Sonia again to run down Monica for the Rafael case. She’s sorry but her officers are all busy—there was a shooting the night before—so they will have to wait. Rob tries to make her see the urgency from their client’s point of view. Nopis, they have to wait.

*Manuel (one of the 14-year-olds—actually he and Lorena are finishing law school) drops in on Alejandra to let her know how much he is looking forward to working with her. [ed. note: Flattery will always get you somewhere.] He’s on his way to court and if there is anything he can do for her, he’s there to help. He notices she’s been coloring a map. She explains that it’s a map of all the areas near where her father was kidnapped. She is petitioning to get all the videos, which perhaps will show where they took him. Manuel offers to take the request and file it.

*Nancy reports to Carlos. The officer might change his statement, but it’ll cost them. Carlos whips out his checkbook and writes a check. She takes it before he can stuff it down her bra. She waves the check around and boasts that this ought to do it. [ed. note: Somehow I don’t think she’s a mole sent by Sonia.] Carlos is entrusting her to resolve the matter and get their client off.

*Rick and Adrian are planning what the next step in Rafael’s case is going to be. They don’t have Monica and the adjudication is coming up. Juan comes in. He tells them he has some doubts about her guilt as intellectual author of the crime. She was very nice to him and all her old neighbors really liked her. Adrian feels she must have had a powerful motive to do what she did. Juan offers to call her, but they don’t want to spook her into taking off. When he calls, they talk about the documents he’s gathering together and will bring them as soon as he can. She’s very pleasant on the phone, while tending to her son at the same time.

*Gus fills in Rick on his case involving the visitation rights of Sr. Aguirre. He asks Rick to go over it. Gus doesn’t feel he’s ready. He seems to lack confidence. Rick reassures him all will go well.

*Nancy meets with Officer Alvarez off duty in a restaurant (he looks so plain out of uniform). She asks him directly to tell her “exactly” what happened. He says he can’t change his statement—except a little piece of paper she hands him will do it. OK, now what will he plan to say to the judge.

*Ale gets a visit from Rick. Juan found Monica. He’s so thrilled he kisses the back of her hair. He wants to see Ale that night. She’s happy with the invite and the kiss on the lips. [ed. note: I guess she didn’t mind that hair kiss, it being Rick.]

*Alan receives the two guys who own the company that developed the software that Mr. Zevala wants to buy out. The two are just starting out and weren’t interested in selling their start-up just yet. Al says they could make a tidy sum by selling and warns that his client has other options. He says they are young and energetic and could use the money to start a new business. Al tells them to think about it, but not for long.

*Rick, Adrian, Rob and Juan visit Rafael in jail. Juan tells him they found Monica. She was quite pleasant. It won’t be long before they detain her. They will accuse her of being the mastermind of the crime he’s charged with. Rafael needs to see her. He wants to know why she did this to him.

*Later that evening

*Rick and Ale relax with wine, but Ale is worried about Gus. Rick reminds her of all she’s gone through and was strong enough to overcome it. He’s sure Gus will, too. Ale gives Rick a lot of the credit for helping her get through it all. All Rick wants for her now is to be happy, feel protected, but above all, loved. They exchange Te Amos, Kiss, Kiss, Walk, Walk to Bedroom, Shed Shirt, Slip out of Dress, Feel the Closeness and Get in More Kissing on their way to Ecstasy.


*This is the Aftermath of what Vicky claims to have seen outside the bar last night.

*Victoria returns home from the bar to an eerie chorus welcoming her. She has seen the worst, Roberto heading off in a taxi, for a night of indulgence with some chippie friend. Ale’s words echo in her head, taunting her, “Rob adores you, he wouldn’t hurt you. You should give him an opportunity.” Then to mock her further, she hears Rob’s soothing voice. She’s sad and mad she let her feelings seep through her well-protected outer shell.

*At the bar, Rob is feeling Vicky’s absence. He keeps an eye out for her, hoping her last “come hither” look was real. Juan is enjoying regaling newbie Manuel with stories of their old court room victories. Rob’s head is somewhere else, though his body is still there. He calls Vicky. On the other end, Vicky is curled up on her couch, looking at the call coming in. She won’t answer. The boys share one last drink before leaving.

*The next day, after striking out trying to get Sonia to go after the suspect Monica, Rob drops in on Vicky. He has no clue what’s coming next as he greets her with his usual charm and friendly demeanor. She tries to put him off with work, but anyone can see the icicles forming around her persona. She turns away, busy. Rob tells her he waited for her all night at the bar. She doesn’t believe him. Assuming she’s just in a bad mood, he goes around the desk and puts his hand on her shoulder. That earns him his first Bingo Square, “No me toques.” She’s tired of his lies.

*Puzzled, Rob wonders what lies? Why is she being like this, what’s happened? What’s happened, she indicates, is she’s tired of his games. Now she’s visibly mad and asks him to leave. Rob says he’s not leaving until she tells him what’s wrong. What’s wrong, she spits back, is that she’s not one of his stringer-ons that believes everything he says. Poor Rob, he still doesn’t know what’s going on and earns his second Bingo Square, “Suelteme.” Then she hauls off and smacks him. Now he’s really confused. Vicky says that for once he should accept who he is and what he does. That’s still not enough of a clue for Rob. Vicky wants to know why he asked her to come to the bar—so she could see him with someone else? She saw him. He protests that he was with Juan and Manuel. Vicky tells him to stop lying. She saw him leave with one of his “amigas.”

*Now the picture is clear to Rob. He tells her she misinterpreted what she saw. He was merely walking his friend to a taxi, in which she left alone. Vicky doesn’t believe him—at all. No matter how much he declares that he went back into the bar, Vicky tells him to stop it. He’s the same piece of trash he’s always been and she doesn’t want him in her life.

*Rob is now in pleading mode. He has witnesses. Juan and Manuel. Vicky scoffs. Juan will always take his side. She doesn’t believe him because she knows him and this time she actually saw him. Ok, says Rob, if she knows him so well, why did she come to the bar to meet him at all? Her answer makes no sense. She says she was stupid and she wanted to see him. He agrees with the latter. That was the plan—he was waiting for her. She calls him a cynic. She’s not sorry she went. It just proved he was the same as always. Rob keeps trying to explain her feelings to her. She’s assuming what she saw was her interpretation because she’s scared to admit she has feelings for him. For one brief moment it shows in her face—she does care for him. He insists that she tell him he has probable cause to believe he’s right, then he’ll leave her in peace.

*Vicky declares that what was going on between them was a mistake. Rob says that’s not so. Vicky says she’s sorry she ever got involved with him. [ed. note: To be honest, most of the tell-tale involvement was her flirtations keeping him on her fishing line. She just wouldn’t reel him in.] Rob indicates that she’s angry because she felt cheated on. He swears again he didn’t do anything (with the chippie). She refuses to listen to him. He tells her he can’t accept that here they are in the last quarter of the game and she won’t believe him. Vicky turns her back on him and says that in the future, their relationship will be strictly business. Rob starts to leave. He says that if that’s what she wants, so be it, but he just wants her to know she’s making a mistake, a big one. Vicky wants to have the last word. She says she’s always trusted her instincts and with him, she’s just sorry she was right. As Vicky opens the door she slings the third Bingo Square at him, “Largate,” from her office. She has to repeat it before he actually leaves. Vicky closes the door. It’s hard to say from her look if she hates Rob or hates letting him go.

*Rob drops in on Juan. Johnny confirms that nothing “happened” the night before at the bar. Rob wants him to assert all that didn’t “happen” to Vicky. Right away. He drags Johnny into Vicky’s office to tell her what didn’t “happen” the night before. Vicky asks if he’s serious. Juan hesitates and tries to leave. When he starts to tell Vicky, it all sounds rehearsed. Juan sneaks away after Vicky tells him the situation between herself and Rob is not any of his business and not to be offended by her saying it. She tells Rob she doesn’t want to talk to him. He leaves after sticking a post-it note on his lapel with a drawing of a broken heart.

*It’s Ale’s turn to drop in on Vicky. She can see how upset she is. Vicky declares how one should never be carried away by sentimentality. She tells Ale everything, how she went to meet Rob to tell him how much he meant to her, that she loved (querer—one step below amar) him and wanted to start a real relationship with him. Then, when she got there, he was with someone else. Now she knows he’ll never change. At least it was better to find out before she could tell him how she feels. Ale gives her a big hug.

*Meanwhile Juan and Rob are walking down the hall. Juan is asking Rob what that was all about with Vicky. Rob tells him she misinterpreted everything to do with his friend, but Vick is hard-headed. Juan can see he cares a lot for her. Rob says that’s what he gets for trying to be a good man, but life has a way of upsetting the apple cart. Juan offers Rob some advice, but we can’t hear it because the elevator doors close.

*Vicky tells Ale she’ll be ok. She’s going to forget what she felt for Rob. She feels like a fool, thinking he would change. Ale wonders if it really was just a friend. Vicky assures her that they were leaving together in a taxi. Ale was so sure Rob was serious about Vicky. Vick thought the same—for one hot minute, but he just can’t resist women. It’s what makes him happy. She turns Ale’s offer to meet later and get it all out. Vick says she’ll be ok.