Caray, Caray!

Sometimes it's a good thing to sleeve the ace. – Dashiell Hammett

Elisa made Dario an offer he refused. To deal with her and her alone in exchange for revealing his boss, who was getting rich while he was doing the dirty work and taking all the risks. He said he reported to no one. Elisa said well and good, “but the only ones who would end up n prison are you and me.” Something in his face said she had hit home.

Victoria and Eugenio confronted Renata's doctor about her escape, which she insisted put Renata's life in danger. Oscar reminded her that she and Eugenio were also implicated in the abortion and spaying that Renata had never consented to. They would all be in deep shit if any of this were known. Victoria backed off and asked how her escape was possible. He suggested that it was probably a lax in security. He said it would never happen again. Eugenio told him that this was bigger than he thought. She had found out that her husband was dead. Stricter measures were called for. He insisted that she be kept sedated “until this crisis passes.” Victoria agreed with him. They wanted Renata isolated. No visitors.Eugenio ased which other patient escaped. Victoria said that only Renata needed to be locked up. The doctor tried to resist. Eugenio played the Money Card. Oscar folded.

Dario somehow realized he was being played. Elisa told him she wasn't playing games. He was to assure her that no member of her family would pay for her bad decisions. If he failed to do so she would turn herself in and he would also pay the price. She told him to accept this or both of them would end up in prison. His phone rang, so he looked at it. “It's your little sister,” he said. He pressed the Dismiss icon so it went straight to voicemail.

Majo was clutching the bottle. She did not leave a message. She paused, hit the number again, and again declined to leave a message. She took another sip.

Adriana brought the bank records to José Luis. She said that nothing looked suspicious in his or Leslie's. He looked at her with suspicion and asked about Mario. She defended Mario, saying that nothing he had ever done was unprofessional. He seemed to accept it and suggested they go out to dinner. She looked ill at ease. Leslie entered without knocking and said she had to speak with him. He was annoyed and she said she came to talk about her mother. Adriana excused herself and escaped from the office. Leslie then told her father that he had to stop hurting her mother.

Fabricio called Elisa to tell her that papers were served on the galleries. He had been in the process of separating them from the construction company and they needed to talk about this right away because the authorities were going to pay them a visit in the morning. They needed to be in agreement about this. She said there was something she had to do and she would see him after, then ended the call. Fernanda was on the other side of Fabricio's desk and accused Elisa of being irresponsible, saying they should pull the rug out from under her.

Elisa was not prevented from visiting Renata, who was asleep. She sat by her sister's bed, whispering about her getting out and having a happier life. A nurse came in to tell Elisa to allow her sister to sleep. Elisa kissed her sleeping sister and left without a word, only to encounter Mauricio outside. He told her he was being prevented from visiting Renata, probably because they had escaped together. He asked her to take good care of Renata and she promised him she would.

José Luis told Leslie that he had taken her mother out of her workplace because she was being harrassed by a customer. Leslie hadn't been told this. She did not disagree. She did ask why he would not allow her mother to find another job. José Luis insisted that his promotion came with a raise so there was no need for Teresa to work. Leslie defended her mother, saying she needed to do this to feel useful. José Luis made this all about his male pride. Leslie accused him of mistreating her mother. She walked out telling him that if she saw him raising a hand again against her mother she would report him.

Dario reported back to Eugenio. He told him about Elisa's offer and what she demanded in exchange. Eugenio seemed agreeable to this, saying “How stupid she is thinking herself honest; she is the same as her father.” Dario seemed to think that his acceptance may have made him look weak. Eugenio told him to go along with it and he would be watching. Dario reminded him that José Luis asked for more money for more payoffs. Eugenio complied, saying “We need to have the police on our side.” When Dario mentioned Leo, Eugenio said that it was José Luis' job to control him.

As Eugenio was leaving Dario's phone rang. It was Majo and Eugenio told him to do what he had to do. Dario did not answer. It stopped ringing, then started again. He put the phone down on the table, ignoring Majo again.

Majo was lying on the floor of her room, crying. Victoria heard her from outside and got the maid to let her in. They picked Majo off the floor and got her to her feet, then led her out.

José Luis vented to Adriana. After hearing him complain about who was angry and who wasn't talking to him Adriana cleverly told him off. She said that it was likely that he was the one in the wrong.

Teresa returned home after searching for Leslie. She had not found her. She told her mother-in-law that Leslie was no fool, that she knew there was major conflict between her parents. She thanked Sara for defending her. Sara told her that while they had not been the best of friends, she respected her. Teresa thanked her again, but told her that she was going to seek a divorce.

Fernanda asked Fabricio why he got Alfonso from accounting involved. He told her that it was to their benefit that he be involved in this. She reminded him that she had to leave early to look after her mother and Juanito. He told her to hurry up and get things done so she could leave early. She passed Eugenio on the way out of Fabricio's office. Fabricio told him that they were notified of the audit and that there would be a short time to explain any irregularities. He asked for Eugenio's help in pulling strings so they could come out looking clean. Eugenio smiled and said “I'm pleased you asked for my help.”

“To humiliate me again?”

“No. It shows that you trust me.”

“Don't try to sound paternal; this is difficult for me.”

“Why? I have nothing to hide.”

“And Sonia? How is it that a man as demanding as you are is housing a woman who betrayed you?”

“Let's say it's an act of charity.”

“Or security?

“Do as I tell you. No talking in circles.”

“What does Sonia know? Why do you have to be so controlling with her?”

Victoria told the maid to help Majo dress before dinner, then called Clara to demand to know where the hell she was. She insisted that che come over immediately. Clara told her she was not working for her anymore and she needed to find a new babysitter for Majo. Victoria – as usual – asked if this was a demand for more money. Clara said that not everything was about money. “If you are so worried about Maria José, look after her yourself,” she said before ending the call.

Fabricio wanted to know what Sonia was hiding. Eugenio dismissed her distress as pregnancy hormones. Elisa arrived and they immediately changed their tone for her benefit. She told them she had visited Renata but that her sister had been asleep. She asked why they had demanded that Renata be incommunicada and Eugenio told her that this was about increased security in case she made another escape attempt. This was so she would be safe and would get better so she could come back home. Elisa nodded, which Eugenio probably thought meant she believed him. He changed the subject to the audit, saying he would help them. He left.

Elisa was surprised that Fabricio asked for his father's help. Fabricio explained that he knew that Eugenio could get them out of this jam. Elisa told him she was grateful for everything he's done for her.

Mauricio was in the corridor when the night nurse made her rounds. She knew that he had been Renata's escape companion. He tried to engage her in conversation and she evaded it. He took a box out of a shopping bag and offered her a bribe: a tablet computer for her child. He only wanted some information. He would give her cash instead if she preferred. He finally asked about whether she had access to patient records.

Elisa tried to get Majo to think about restarting her life. Going back to her studies so she could have a career and a normal life. Majo answered that it would not be easy. She then told her that she had called Dario multiple times and he didn't answer. Elisa asked why she doesn't look for a psychologist and a few moments later admitted she had asked El Cobra to leave her alone and explained the agreement she made with him. Majo asked why, saying “He loves me!” Elisa tried to explain that extortion and threats are not love and Majo at first accused her of making this all about herself. It finally looked as though she had gotten through to her.

Leo was pressing his clothes for the next day when Sara entered his room to tell him about Teresa's seeking a divorce. She was sad about this, saying that this is not how things were in her time. Leo told her they had to help Teresa. Sara thought that José Luis would see this as familial treason. Leo said that he was thinking this way for some time. Things would get better.

Teresa moved into Leslie's room. They talked about the upcoming separation. Teresa assured her that this had nothing to do with her. She showed affection to Leslie for the first time in years and told her she wanted them to live together.

Carmen's nurse told Fernanda that her mother had had an accident and needed to be bathed. This was why she had not bathed Juanito. She left. Fernanda went into Carmen's room and saw her reading to Juanito. After a few uncomfortable words there was a knock at the door. Fernanda answered an Eugenio walked in without asking permission, saying “I am your boss.” He saw Juanito's toy car on a table and said “I know you're with your son and I know who his father is.”

Fernanda was shocked. Eugenio didn't let up.

“Why is he here? Are you using him to blackmail someone?”

Leo spoke to Robles – his boss – about cornering El Cobra. Robles asked if he was sure he knew what he was doing. Leo answered that it was the only way. Robles asked if he realized that the first charges will be against Elisa.

Fernanda tried to talk about work but Eugenio interrupted her and insisted that she evict Carmen and Juanito. While he was right that neither had been of any importance before she started telling him that her mother was terminally ill. He didn't want to hear any of this; he considered Carmen and Juanito be be in the way. She went down the list of all the things he had ordered her to do. She had a sexual relationship with Augusto, she had sent for Fabricio, and she had done all this to take care of her mother and her son. Eugenio demanded that she put her mother in a hospital and her son in a boarding school. “It's for your own good. I don't want Fabricio to know about this. What man would want a woman whose life is so.... ugly?”
He took a sip of his favorite poison and left. Fernanda said nothing out loud. Her face said it all.

Adriana tried to talk some sense into José Luis. He wasn't interested in saving his marriage or even going home. When he looked for the fringe benefits he previously had in Adriana's apartment she made him do the dinner dishes.

Renata woke the next morning in the same position she had been in during Elisa's visit. She got up slowly and didn't stand straight, as though she had no energy. She fell forward onto the floor just as the night nurse entered her room. She helped her up and led her back to bed. Renata didn't want to sleep, she wanted to see Mauricio, but the nurse gave her something to drink and tucked her in. Renata was too weak to resist.

Dario was looking at his computer when his bald, bearded henchman asked if he should look for “the girl.” He brought Majo in and Dario said to leave them alone. She asked if what Elisa said was true. He told her to leave.

Leo accompanied the officials from the district attorney's office and presented the search warrant for the accounting documents, etc. Fabricio was looking at it when Elisa entered the room. Leo explained what this was, saying “This isn't personal. It's an official order. Can we enter?”

Labels: imperio