Caray, Caray!

I am on leave for a couple of weeks; see you in the New Year My assistant presents just the facts for the duration. – Dashiell Hammett

Elisa surrendered to the police and asked Leo not to interfere. Christina must have been cheering in her addled head. She did not want Leo to talk to Elisa alone, insisting that she had to be taken to the reclusorio immediately. He asked her how low she intended to stoop. She told him she would allow two minutes. Her madness was obvious. She had classified Elisa as “dangerous” and an escape risk.
She closed the door and watched through its window as Elisa told Leo she said she would do this. She was innocent, but looked as though she was tired of running away. She had been forced into this by Dario. He was upset and unsure what to do. She was determined to fight and asked him not to abandon her. She embraced him and when he did in return Christina ordered Adriana and Mario to break them up.

Elisa was escorted to the car. Leo ran after her to tell her he was going to do whatever it took to free her. He would not be stopped. Christina watched, looking for weaknesses.

Mario followed Christina back into the precinct. He told her “Alright, now you've arrested Elisa and you control Leo. So are you going to do what you've promised?” She told him not to worry; she would save him. Mario reminded her that this was the long view and se said she would save Leo's career... and his. The latter by resolving the issue of Adriana being his boss. He thought that she was goig to get Adriana fired, but she said she wouldn't. He looked like he regretted ever dealing with her. He walked away. Leo returned and gave her a dirty look. She mentioned a “session” and he told her to go to hell. “I never want to see you again.” She implied that this would cost him employment and how would he be able to help Elisa then? She said she would see him the next day.

After Carmen's body was removed from Fernanda's apartment Fabricio told her to stay. He would take Juanito with him. She picked up the boy saying, “No, no!” and left the room.

Majo was packing Piedad's clothing to take her to Renata's apartment, but the lady refused to go. This was about causing Dario more anxiety. Majo told her that if she did not Elisa would go to prison and her (Piedad's) life could be in danger.

Sonia was getting nowhere with Renata, who continued to demand the answer to her question. Sonia finally said that she did not know whether Marcelo was the father of her baby. Renata assumed that he was because her “uncle” could not impregnate her. She touched Sonia's stomach and talked about her own pregnancy and that she was judged unworthy of being a mother. She began to cry, then began asking Sonia how Marcelo behaved in bed with her. Sonia denied that Marcelo had ever spoken disrespectfully of her. Renata didn't quite believe it. She began crying.

Eugenio suggested to Victoria that she stay at his country house because of the arrest and other things. Victoria asked what he was going to do about Fernanda. “Are you boinking her, too?” she asked. “Oh, please! Don't say such stupid things!” was his non-answer. She asked whom he was calling at midnight and he replied that it was Fabricio and it was about business. She told hi he would have to tell her everything if they were to be married. She wanted the whole truth and nothing but. He tried to tell her he had told her everything, but she did not believe him. She wanted all the details as far back as it went. And wanted to know where he had hidden Sonia. She now was sure he was involved and had to know everything if they were to get Elisa out of the jail.

Elisa entered the women's jail and was given her uniform and had her mug shots and fingerprints taken. She was then escorted to her cell with the cynical guard sarcastically presenting her to her cellies.

Adriana questioned Mario about the non-coincidence of the feds being present when Elisa came to the precinct. Leo saw them talking while he was on the phone. He asked Adriana's assistance to protect Elisa because he knew Christina was up to nothing good. She had manipulated the situation to separate him from Elisa.

José Luis and Teresa talked to Leslie's doctor, who explained that Leslie was weak because of the chemotherapy. Early treatments were particularly aggressive. They were doing all they could. José Luis thanked him and they left.

Fabricio wanted to talk to Juanito alone, but Fernanda objected. She took the child on her lap, telling him that Fabricio was trying to take him away from her. He covered his ears. Fernanda became feral, repeating “You will not take him away!” as she went after her former lover. He remained outside the room. He calmly told her he would take care of her mother's funeral and then they would talk. She insisted that Juanito was her child and he wasn't taking him away. Fabricio retreated and left. Fernanda then hugged her child, who was definitely afraid.

Piedad told Majo she would go with her... after seeing Dario first.

Renata got Sonia to tell her how she came to be in Nieves' house. She didn't believe her. Sonia explained she was looking for Leonardo because he was the only one who coul protect her from Eugenio. Renata said he wasn't the only one. She said she would help because she was pregnant despite that “you stole the love of my life.”

Eugenio told Victoria he had “bought” Sonia, meaning that she had been with him only for the money. He said he had wanted to kill her upon learning of her infidelity, but refrained from doing so. Victoria asked about Fernanda and Eugenio answered that she was cut from the same cloth, but was with Fabricio and had a son by him. Victoria was surprised, but Eugenio laid the worst on her, which – of course – was that Fernanda had been involved with Augusto. Victoria said nothing. She looked as though she had aged another ten years.

Adriana spoke with someone at the women's prison. Mario entered her office just as she hung up and asked if she had spoken with her friend. She evaded the question and asked him once again what he had been hiding. Had he ratted out Elisa to protect his own employment? He evaded her question, saying he only wanted to help Leonardo.

He almost ran out of her office.

The mustachioed guard at the men's prison didn't want to allow Leo to see Dario. However, Leo demanded to know who was paying him and said so quite loudly.
He then saw Majo and Piedad and asked whay they were doing there. When Majo explained Leo was holding back anger because Dario had caused Elisa's arrest. Piedad told him that she was there to ask Dario to change his statement. Leo said he hoped that would be effective, but didn't sound confident that it would.

The guard was not inclined to bring Dario to the visiting area, but he did.

Elisa was brought to a cell that must have been in ad seg and the guard told her that someone was looking out for her. She gave her a cell phone and told her to hide it well because discovery would cause major problems. She did not reveal who provided this.

Dario was not pleased at seeing either of the only women in his life in the visitors' area, but Piedad didn't let that stop her. She told him him off, even saying that the world would be a better place without him. That thanks to him her life was in danger and he had to stop the madness.
No one could have sent him on a worse guilt trip than this: He was responsible for putting Majo's sister in prison when Majo was taking care of his mother and risking her life by so doing. He had to do the right thing and forget his revenge.

Leo spoke with Robles, who had dismissed Christina's report. Leo tried explaining that Christina's tales of a past relationship with him were all lies and that she was trying to destroy his relationship with Elisa. Robles said he sounded paranoid. He needed to control his reactions.

Dario cried and finally told Piedad he would change his statement. He told Majo that she and his mother were the only people who meant anything to him. He asked her to take care of his mother, said he would get out and they would be together, and apologized for what he did to make her suffer. They kissed. He then said to leave. [Does anyone else think that this is his swan song?]

Mario waited for Christina, who arrived and reminded him that this was about ultimately getting him Adriana's job. She had promised not to report Adriana and José Luis to Internal Affairs and he would have to do his part.

Leo and Elisa thought about happier times. She looked around carefully, then took out her cell and listened to his last voicemail.

Victoria took a stiff drink and asked Eugenio how long Fernanda and Augusto had been lovers. Eugenio said he didn't know. She asked what else there was to know and whether he was going to tell her everything or bring it out piecemeal. He told her she wouldn't like a lot of it. She accused him of maipulating everything while playing the victim. He finally admitted being the Boss and that Dario works for him. She asked if he was behind the kidnapping of Majo and he denied it, claiming he found out later. He finally said “You owe your daughter's life to me.”

Elisa started to text, then pocketed the phone when she heard a door open and close. The guard came in to show her who made her privileges possible. Christina sashayed in with her usual smug expression.

Labels: imperio