Caray, Caray!

·         Tall, dark, and halfway-handsome Leonardo is definitely overwhelmed by the steamy liplock Elisa has just laid on him. (But then again, could be he's just relieved he didn't eat the onion and garlic bagels during his coffee break this morning.)  We gotta figure that Leo seems to be bright enough a copper (pun totally unintended) to note the worried look on this blond bombshell's face, not to mention, the telephone conversation he must have overheard.  "--Is somebody watching us? Does this have to do with your father's death? Look, I only want to help you." She answers that he has helped enough; please don't ask her anything more, and then fakes a lover's good-bye blow kiss.  He remains there, staring after her (either getting more in touch with himself or perhaps just drawn by something more than simply altruistic motives (Julia who??).

·        Elisa is on a mission and the clock is tick-tick-ticking.  She races to get to her dearly departed daddy's offices and requests Fernanda, Augusto's administrative sexratary, to bring her all the files from recent clients and any recent questionable business transactions.  She has a flashback to the kidnapping and threats Dario, the head thug, made earlier: "--You have 24 hrs. to give me back what your father stole from us. Otherwise, kid sister, Majo, gets offed."

·         Leo, still outside in front of police central, eventually snaps out of his trance and calls his female colleague: "--That woman is hiding something; I was just with her."  Lady Cop chastizes him for sticking his nose in again; he was told to keep out of the investigation, as he's obviously emotionally too close to the situation.  He's been warned by the higher-ups that if he interferes at this point he will be charged with obstruction.  It won't be just him that gets burned, either.  He and his two partners will also get in trouble.  Leo says there's no reason his older brother, Jose Luis, should find out.  So, get him anything she can dig up on Elisa Cantu.  He needs to learn what it is she's hiding.

·         At Empresa Cantu, aka Grupo Cantu, Elisa explains to Fernanda that she's looking for any illegal transaction that Daddy may have had.  After all,  Fern was his administrative assistant and had the best knowledge of his comings and goings. Fern insists her father was totally above-board! He would be incapable of anything so scurrilous as a scandalous transaction!  (Maybe, maybe not!)

·         Fern gets a bit scared about all of this and wants an explanation.  Elisa mumbles about the murder, the woman her papi was found with, the business's financials. Just too much to deal with!  She learns from Fern then that a man stopped by but didn't leave his name.  She thought he was there about the shipment still at the warehouse that Augusto left pending when he was killed.  It was from a couple of weeks ago.  Fern hands Elisa some misplaced paperwork she found in a drawer, I believe.  Elisa looks over the papers and races off, instructing Fern not to say a word to anybody.  "--not that man or anybody else!"

·         Back at the kidnappers' lair, the usual fear fest takes place.  One of the baddies threatens and tries raping Majo.  The other, smarter baddy, prevents him much to Viewerville's relief. FF >>FF>>

·         At the same time, Leo returns to the crime scene and notes some dragging tracks moving away from where the car was.  He takes pictures. He then finds a loose earring--one of Julia's--lying in the grass.  He assumes then she wasn't in the car at the time but was put inside it afterward.  Some of the other cops are watching over the site and see Leo. They report back to El Commandante.

·         At Julia's house, Kid Sister informs Mama that Leo was asking questions at the funeral.  Of course, she told him she knew nothing.  Mama tells her to keep it that way.  Neither of them knows a thing, y punto.

·         Back at the police station, Jose Luis asks Lady Cop and Guy Cop if they found out anything about any pre-existing relationship between Papi Cantu and Julia. Nope.  Nada. Zilch. Zero.   "--But they had to have met each other at some point," JL insists.  He adds he knows it's rough for everybody involved but they've simply got to treat the case as if it were any other.  Otherwise, they'll never get through it.  The others agree.  Just then El Commandante walks in and interrupts to complain to JL that his brother was just seen back at the crime scene, and he'd better get Leo the heck off the case or he'll be charged with obstruction.

·         Leo's mama arrives home and complains to JL's wife about not going to Julia's wake.  JL's wife gossips about Julia's having an affair and all the while pulling the wool over Leo, the stupid fool's, eyes.  So, why go show respect for such a slut?  La Suegra Velasco tells her to shut it and storms out of the dining room in disgust.

·         Elisa makes it to the warehouse and asks the manager where the shipment could have gone and why it's nowhere to be found. "--If the shipment wasn't signed off for and released, then the crates all still must be there. But also, who could have ordered the shipment released without a formal signature?" "--Could only be Sr. Augusto," says the manager.  "It was that same night....It was so odd, too, him coming so late at night."  Elisa thinks this through.  "--Anyway, he couldn't have carried off those crates by himself."  "--No.  He came to review what was going to the new gallery."  "--Oh!  Of course, that!"

·         At the same time, across town, Renata is speaking with her doctor about her treatment.  She asks if at any time once the treatment ends could she try for children.  No, replies the doctor.  She's a psychiatric patient and the type of illness she's dealing with is life-long and she cannot ever have children.  He hands her some meds and birth control pills before leaving to handle some slight emergency which takes him out of the office.  This is long enough for Ren to ditch the pills inside the sample boxes into the nearby wastebasket and return the empties to her purse as if nothing had happened.  (Psycho pregnancy alert!!) 

·         Victoria calls harried Elisa saying she's worried about Majo and has second thoughts about agreeing to send her out of the country.  Elisa lies that Majo made it to N.Y. and is just fine.

·         Speaking of upset, Leo returns home and begins thinking about Julia.  Mama V. joins him and tells him he cannot let himself be taken over by terrible thoughts, even though he is in terrible pain.  He's got to remain strong and get through it.  Yes, says a tearful Leo.  He reveals to Mama the engagement and the news of the baby Julia gave him that very same night.  Now it's all gone.  She's gone. They're both gone. He just doesn't understand at all.  

·         As Vicki packs away Auggie's clothes, she wonders back to that evening and where her husband really had gone.  Who was that woman in the car with him?  Was she really his lover?

·         Elisa arrives and then fibs to Vicki that Majo simply lost her phone and then emailed Elisa telling her about it.  Nothing major.  Vicki has asked Elisa to stay for a bit and chat.  She's too upset about Majo and the whole sad situation in general.

·         At Grupo Cantu, now, Ren's hubby is working: watching a porn flick on his office computer when Fern walks in on him.  She tells him to just keep doing whatever "work" he was busy with, then recommends he look for another job since Grupo Cantu is financially finished.  What idiocy is she talking about, he sneers.  Fern tells him she's got his number:  "--you thought just by marrying Renata that you'd get your mitts on Augusto Cantu's millions but all you'll be getting now is his millions in debts. Tsk, tsk, tiger."  She throws down the financial file and walks back out.  (Wow! Viewerville adds another kindred spirit to cheer on.) 

·         At Leo's again, Jose Luis scolds him about his going back to the crime scene when he was warned off.  He tells him that the commandante will be accusing not just him but all of them with obstruction if he doesn't put the brakes on his obsession and let the others handle it by the book. Leo shows JL the pictures he took and the earring he found a few yards from the car.  "--It means that Julia wasn't killed in the car.  Her body was planted inside and the whole scene is a setup!  It was staged!"  It means they know that Cantu was the object of this crime and they have to find out what role Julia played in all of this, he concludes. "--Who put her into the car and why?"  JL agrees but then he warns Leo again that he's got to stay out of this investigation or otherwise both of them will be kicked off the force.  Leo may not care, but JL still has a family to support.  Leave it be and let him do his job.  Leo, sighs. (Dunno.  He doesn't look very convinced to me.)

·         Back at the manse, Elisa asks Vicki if her daddy had enemies that would have wanted to kill him.  Vicki states there were plenty of competitors in his way, but to kill him?  Not that she would know of.  Elisa next asks if he had a lover.  Before Vicki can fully reply, Renata rushes into the kitchen.  We get a great view of the Cantus' dysfunctional family dynamic.  (Damn, if they don't play their roles to perfection in this scene!  Anybody who's lived through it knows it immediately.  What a cringe-fest!)  Mama gripes against Ren drinking caffeine and asks where she was this morning.  Ren says sarcastically that she was at the doctor's getting more drugs all because she's a worthless crazy woman.  "--So just go back to whatever it was you were talking about and ignore me like usual."  Vicki makes the mistake of doing just that and telling Elisa she is the one who'll take over the family business. Ruh-Rohhhh!

·         Ren raises holy Hell at that careless remark.  She's not just incensed, but now rages that she, being the eldest, is the one to take over the family business.  "--But your father decided!" "--Dad's dead!" (That was blunt enough!) Elisa says by way of compromise that she can go with her to the office tomorrow and... (yeah, then what?)  Ren is further agitated. Elisa's voice and mannerisms get on her last of numerous frazzled nerves; that same fake happy look and tone of voice is like chalk on the proverbial blackboard because that's why Daddy always gave Elisa everything and totally ignored wretched Renata. Elisa should take care of the new gallery in N.Y. and leave her to run the gallery in Mexico!! Simple as that! Tantan!  Renata now goes ably back to her rant with Mama, rudely poking a finger into Victoria's forehead.  "--I'll prove to you I am capable!"  Eventually, to everyone's relief (Viewerville's included), Ren rushes out of the room, taking her major, older-sister snit with her.  Relieved that she's gone, Elisa asks why Mama had to be so careless about bringing her new position up the way she did.  Vicki's response is that no way was she going to leave the family business in the hands of Renata's freeloading, opportunistic, parasite of a husband!!  (Works for me!) 

·         Outside the manse, Leo is questioning the housekeeper when Elisa exits the gate and runs into them.  "--What gives you the right to interrogate my employees?"  Her rainbow-colored ransom phone suddenly begins ringing.  Nervously Elisa warns Leo to get going or she'll call his boss and lodge a complaint about harassment. He gets into his car but watches her carefully before driving off.  He notes she's looking around for something or someone; and she seems pretty worried or frightened.  She answers her phone.  Dario notes on the phone that she's been fighting with her boyfriend.  Tsk. Tsk.  He taunts her and then reminds her time is running out.  She wants proof of life by speaking to her sis.  Dario (the sociopathic dick) clicks off.

·         A bit later Leo discusses the prints of his pictures with his two partners and relates his new findings.  They argue over the fact that maybe, as bad as it hurts to consider it, just maybe Julia really was involved with the old man.

·         Meanwhile, El Commandante pays Vicki a visit and says he's just doing his due diligence.  She tells him next time he's inclined to do his due diligence to speak to her lawyer. She tells him to get out of her house.

·         JL has a fight with his less-than affectionate wife.  No sex. Not now and might as well be not ever.  JL is disgusted and leaves.

·         Rape-hungry Kidnapper tells  Dario that the victim needs a spanking to knock her down a peg or two.  Dario warns Would Be Molester that if he puts a hand on her he will kill him.  (Nope, don't let the good looks fool ya cuz just as easily he turns from Mr. Nice Guy into El Demente. (You don't say no to Dariohhh!  Just like [y]ou don't tug on superman's cape; you don't spit into the wind; you don't pull the mask off the old lone ranger and you don't mess around with [h]im! (My apologies to Jim Croce, q.e.p.d. but it just was one of those earworm things).  When Majo refuses to make a video to send to her sister he suddenly grabs and chokes her. Press about an inch either way and she dies.  So do what he says or she's dead sister walking.  Message received, loud and clear.

·         Vicki has later called Eugenio over to complain about El Commandante's visit.  She feels so alone now.  No way she is alone, says Eugene.  "You've got me looking after you and the family."  Vicki admits to him that she thinks Elisa is hiding something from them all.  She's been acting so strangely.  "--Really?  Like what?"

·         Leo's partners show him the news articles they've found.  Elisa Cantu is having an exposition of prehispanic relics.  "--Okay.... yeah, but then there's an article about recently stolen relics as well," continues Lady Cop.  This suggests art trafficking and that Elisa is possibly involved in it. "This could be the motive for the murders," says Leo.  And, there is to be an opening of a new art museum by EC soon in Mexico City. 

·         Tio Eugenio calls Elisa to discuss how worried Victoria is.  She tells him the whopper of white lies regarding Maria Jose.  He cannot believe, he says, that her mother would swallow such a line of puke as that.  Well, says Elisa, it was the right thing to do."  "--Ok. give my best to your sister next time you speak to her."  Click.  Afterward, dear Tio Geño stands by Augusto's grave. "--At what point did I lose you, brother?"  Up walks Dario.  (Dun-dun-dunnnnn!!!!!)

·         Eugenio and Dario we note... are working together!! Yup and the first thing he asks is how 'the girl', aka Majo, is. (Viewerville takes a moment to pause and pick its collective jaw from off the floor.)  "--Insufferable!"  "--Well she better be alright or you will pay for it!"  Dario relates that they've got her at the safe house.  He's been following Elisa everywhere and it's obvious she has no idea where the art pieces are. Dario says he doesn't quite see Miss Respectable turning into an art thief.  Geño insists they need a substitute for Augusto now and remarks that she never said a word about her sister when he pressed her just a bit ago.  No, he thinks they've got a winner with Elisa.

·         Elisa, meanwhile, is back at her father's offices looking through things when long 'n lanky Leo shows up unexpectedly. He surprises her with a suspicious "--What are you looking for?"  She wants to know what he doing there?  "--Are you following me?"  Well, hey, he's just a policeman doing his job, he answers.  "--It is such an abuse of authority! Do it somewhere else!  This is private property!"  As such he has no right to be there.  Leo (acting halfway in a trance again --I thought that was the beginning scene of this capitulo!) asks her instead why at the police station and every time he's with her she acts like someone or something is watching or following her.  She again tells him to leave.  There's no reason for him to be there.  Instead, El Colombo de Leo irritatingly picks up a page of what she was just looking through and asks if it has to do with the theft of those prehispanic relics.  She stops in her tracks and nearly breaks into tears when he insists again that he's not there to hurt her, that he's trying to help and is on her side. Her happy and in control facade crumbles--or is it an act to secure sympathy? Leo asks what's the matter and that's when she finally loses it.  She walks over to him, lays her head on his shoulders, and sobs.  (Well, I suppose if you needed a pair of shoulders to sob on, his do very nicely....)  Yup, she moves straight into his arms and begs for his help.  What's a tall, dark, and halfway handsome fellow to do?  

Labels: imperio

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