Caray, Caray!

Time is everything. We can't buy it back or sell it and it always has the last word. – Dashiell Hammett

Leo looked at Christina with suspicion. She said “We're going to talk about Julia and Elisa, but first I want to talk about me.” He was not looking for a crash course on black widow spiders.

Nieves and Clara had the same conversation as many others, with Nieves not wanting to accept this “unnatural” relationship between Clara and Majo. As Clara picked up her bag to leave, Nieves stopped her. She said “If she feels the same about you as you do about her, I won't say another word about it.”

Clara did not look convinced.

Sonia let Fabricio in to see her. He told her that if she helped him he would protect her. He needed the truth. She told him she and Marcelo attempted to escape and Fernanda gave him the artifact that got him caught and cost him his life. That Fernanda was up to her neck in all this.
She asked him to close the door. He had just been seen by one of Eugenio's goons, who closed the glass door. Before Fabricio could close the wooden one Juanito appeared. He stared and crouched down to look the child in the eyes.

Leo recognized that his emotions had gotten the best of him. For a moment. Christina insisted that violence was part of his personality. She implied that this related back to something between them. She stood up in a very choreographed manner,sat at the desk, and said she considered him incapable of controlling his emotions and she was putting that in her report. As she started writing on the form he tried to get her attention and she said – very superciliously – “If you don't realize you have a problem, you can't work with people in law enforcement.”
“Christina, please don't do this.”
“You will be thinking about this for a long time.”
She clearly had it in for him and he knew it.

Fabricio watched Juanito play on the floor. Carmen – looking much the worse for her illness – told him that she had hoped he would appear to take care of him. She was no longer capable of taking care of the boy and feared that he would be taken far away from his mother. She was calm that Fabricio would be able to protect him from Eugenio, who did many evil things. Fabricio asked whether she expected him to embrace Fernanda with open arms and forgive years of and deceptions. She said “She is the mother of your child. It would please me to see hi have a better life than I could give my own daughter. You come from a rich family.”
“Money doesn't buy everything,” he replied.
“Of course not. It doesn't buy time, for example. Because of that I ask you, I beg you to protect him. Protect them, please, because you are the only person who can do that.”
“Don't ask that of me.”
“Fabricio, look at me.” He did. “I need you to promise me you will. Have some compassion for a woman with so little time to live. Help me die in peace.”
“I can't promise that.”
“Would you do it for him?”
Juanito looked back at them. Fabricio was silent.

The doctor returned to his office and Teresa went to help Leslie dress to go home. José Luis asked the doctor what he thought. The doctor told him that it wasn't yet confirmed but he thought that Leslie might have leukemia. José Luis sat down and lost his composure. He kept saying she was so young and almost begged the doctor to do whatever it took to save her.

Mario took the slippery snake into an interrogation room. El Cobra tried to gaslight him into letting him escape in exchange for a hefty bribe.

José Luis and Teresa brought Leslie home. She looked weak or tired. She asked whether what she had done caused this. Teresa said “Partly,” but told her that her medications would make her better. She handed her a pill and a glass of water. José Luis promised her that he would do the impossible to see that she got better. Eugenio then called him, summoning him to his lair. He ended the call uncomfortably and said he had to go. Teresa told him to be careful. Leslie told him she loved him. He kissed her and left.

Elisa had just received the news that the galleries couldn't make payroll when Fabricio arrived. He insisted upon speaking to her alone. The accountant left and Fabricio told Elisa that he will stay until he is assured that her and her sisters' financial situation was satisfactory. He told her not to worry; he accepted that she did not return his feelings. He excused himself and went to Alonso's office.

José Luis arrived at Eugenio's ad told him that his son would be free within the week, but he would need more money to pay off guards. Eugenio said “What's the rush?” and that he wanted Dario to suffer. José Luis was surprised. When told “You are here to obey me” he said “Very well,” and left.

Carmen called Fernanda, who was relieved but could not leave the office. She told Carmen to be careful about Sonia but said she would explain later. Carmen told her that Fabricio had been there. They did not talk long. Fernanda saw Fabricio through the glass door and told him they had to talk.

Dario had his day in court. He pleaded guilty, but told the judge that the person he took his orders from, the one who got rich from his efforts, was still free.

Fabricio confronted Fernanda with the trap she helped Eugenio set, telling her he doesn't believe anything she says.

Mario called Leo to warn him that Dario pointed at Elisa as the accomplice and that a warrant had been issued for her arrest. José Luis was already on his way. Leo ended the call, as he was with Elisa. He told her they had to go. She resisted and he told her what had happened.

Fabricio and Fernanda continued to argue about her actions. He insisted upon the truth.

Elisa said she needed to talk to her sisters, but Leo said “We don't have time.”
As soon as they opened the gate, José Luis waved the warrant in their faces. He read the charges and let them go “until we get Dario to change his statement.” He told Leo to purchase another cell phone. He might not have done so if Adriana had not been with him. A second later Leslie called him to tell him she felt better but also to get him to promise that he would not divorce her mother. He told her not to worry about that and to concentrate on getting well. She sensed that he was avoiding giving her bad medical news. He told her not to be afraid.

Sara brought Leslie a cup of tea. The girl was trying to get her mother to tell her about her condition. Teresa told her the doctor said nothing, that they needed to wait for test results and that the fever was possibly from stress. Sara told her that they would help cure her.

Leo handed the new phone to Elisa and told her to only give the number to people she really trusted. They had to go away until José Luis could get Dario to change his statement. He told her not to worry; he would be with her.

Majo discovered that the precious bottle of mescal was missing from its usual hiding place. She called Clara and apologized for not taking her calls. She said she had been with her mother and it was hell. They tried to arrange a meeting when the police sirens were heard outside the Cantú mansion. She looked out the window and told Clara why she had to end the call. Clara went back inside. Nieves was waiting to hear this. Clara lied and said Majo said she loved her.
“So now what?” Nieves demanded.
“Nothing. If you want to move to Veracruz, go ahead. I' not going anywhere.”

José Luis, Adriana, and others were met by Victoria, who was as imperious as usual. Adriana explained that Dario Ramirez had identified Elisa as his accomplice. Victoria asked how they could believe a criminal and Adriana said they were just following orders. She asked if they had a search warrant and José Luis said they did not. Victoria then dismissed them.

José Luis took Adriana aside, telling her they needed to do the same at the Cantú offices. He put another officer in the lead and told the rest to follow. This was to buy Leo and Elisa some time.

On her way inside Victoria saw her other daughters and told them what happened. She then began guilt-tripping Majo over Dario having named Elisa as an accomplice. Majo denied it, mostly to herself. Victoria asked where Elisa was and they told her they didn't know. Majo called Elisa's cell. Elisa didn't know what to do. Leo told her to take the call, tell her she was alright and that she would not be hearing from her for a while and she would get a new number. He had no way of knowing that Majo was with anyone else.

Elisa told Majo she was splitting the scene until she could prove her innocence. Majo asked who she was with. Elisa told her she was with Leo but she wasn't to repeat anything to their mother. She was to see what was going on at the office and she would tell her what to do when she updates her. She was to talk to Fabricio to make sure that there was nothing incriminating her. She said their assets should be protected. Leo told her they might be followed and she ended the call.

Majo told Victoria that Elisa was alone, then said she was going to talk to Dario about this. “You're not going anywhere,” was the expected reply. Victoria then went back inside to call Eugenio to have him take charge of this. When she was out of earshot, Renata asked Majo whether Elisa was with Leo. Majo looked at their mother, then quietly said “Yes, but don't tell Mother.” They hugged.

Commandante Robles was not satisfied with Christina's report. It's conclusions were not scientific and would not hold up. When she claimed to know Leo “intimately” he dismissed her as incompetent to issue this report, and that to do so would be unethical. She smugly told him he was free to submit his opinion to upper eschelons, but for now she was in charge of the case and she recommended that Leo be suspended indefinitely.

José Luis et al arrived at the Cantú offices where they were met by Fabricio and Fernanda. She told them that Elisa was not there. José Luis directed the other cops to search the entire office, opening every door.

Victoria called Eugenio to tell him that his bastard ratted out her princess. He said he would see what he could do. She said he was going to resolve it, then ended the call. Eugenio called his mouthpiece, who explained that he couldn't stop Dario from doing this. Eugenio ordered him to revoke the statement. The lawyer told him that this would take time. Eugenio said he didn't care what had to be done.
The lawyer said that this would mean convincing Dario to change his statement. Eugenio said “Leave that to me.”

José Luis gave his business card to Fabricio with its usual exit speech. He then left with the other police. Eugenio called Fabricio to summon him to his lair. Fabricio told him “No. If you want to talk to me, come to the office.” Eugenio didn't look pleased. Fernanda looked concerned and asked Fabricio what they were going to do. He told her just to worry about the paternity test he asked for.

Majo explained things to Renata, who was feeling as useless as their mother accused her of being. She insisted on going to the office with her.

José Luis and Adriana talked about the report they needed to complete on the searches. She asked him why he did what he did and he replied that he didn't want Leo going through the same thing as what happened with Julia. His phone rang and he sent her to begin the report. When she was out of his office he took Eugenio's call, which was an order to pay Dario a visit and force him to retract his statement. He was to tell him that things would get worse for him if he did not. He was to make sure that Dario got no privileges in jail.
As he ended the call he turned and saw Fernanda in the doorway. He asked for Fabricio and she told him that he was in his office.

Fabricio reminded Eugenio that it was “your son” who did this and now the authorities were looking all over their holdings. They could succeed in saving the galleries but not Elisa. Eugenio told him he was working on getting Dario to change his statement. Fabricio said that could mean Dario would confess everything. Eugenio said then that he would have to take his place.

Renata and Majo arrived. Eugenio was unpleasantly surprised and Majo told hiim they didn't need his permission to come to an office where they had interests. She went to see Fabricio. Renata then asked Eugenio to help her. She told him what Mauricio found out. “I know you were with my mother and that you specifically recommended that hospital. I want to know the truth. Was it you who gave the order to kill my baby or was it my mother?”
Eugenio seemed caught off-guard.

Leo and Elisa hit a police roadblock. He had the fake New York ID with him that he was using at the beginning of the investigation, but Elisa has none such. She feigned a headache, saying she had forgotten it. The cop told them they needed to get out of the car.

Labels: imperio