Caray, Caray!

Hitchcock couldn't think of psychos worse than these.

In the midst of a conversation about Elisa, Dario put Fabricio in a headlock from which he managed to escape. They talked about working together to bring Eugenio down. Fabricio said he needed a week to gain the old creep's confidence. Dario probably took that under advisement, as he said nothing in return.

Victoria tried to order Fernanda out of “her” house. Eugenio said he had two things he needed to discuss with her, which provoked another insult out of Victoria about Fernanda's lack of morals. This succeeded in getting Fernanda to leave, telling Eugenio she was willing to talk to him later if he could “control his woman.” This provoked an argument with Victoria that brought out the bile in both of them. He even threatened her by saying that Fernanda knew too much about how Augusto involved her and her daughters in his dirty business. Victoria left the room looking unfazed by this, leaving him to have a silent tantrum.

Christina tried to stop Leo from walking out by saying “We have to talk about us”; he pointed out that there was no “us.” She then suggested that they talk about someone who was in danger, he took this to mean Elisa and she said she would see him at her favorite restaurant.

José Luis told Adriana that Sonia could not be counted upon to testify because of the stress it would put on her health and her pregnancy, so it would not help Leo. He tried to then get her out of his office but she wanted to talk about their relationship. He said that it would be best if they stopped seeing each other. “For a while.” This was about his sense of guilt and what was going on with his family... despite his claim that he loved Adriana. She didn't buy this and walked out.

Leo went to the Cantú mansion to tell Majo and Renata that Dario had escaped. This would make Elisa's situation worse. Majo became upset and ran up the stairs. Leo then explained to Renata that Sonia had also disappeared after failing to give a statement. He speculated – based on what he had heard – that she was in hospital. Renata wondered whether she had returned to Fernanda's apartment, which surprised Leo. Renata told him that Fernanda had fooled everyone. He told her not to leave Majo alone because Dario was likely to look for her.

Clara was hanging out with Leslie when Majo called her to come over. She was nearly hysterical as she told her that Dario had escaped. Clara told her she was afraid of him and couldn't comply with her request. She ended the call, which sent Majo to looking for a bottle of booze that was not in its usual hiding place.

Elisa had heard of the escape and called Fabricio because she was worried about Majo. He played the concerned one, telling her that he would get more security around the house and he was doing all he could to get her out. The hypocrite then told her to trust her lawyer. She wanted to see him the next day and he said “If they let me” as the lame implication that he might not be there. Right after he ended the call Eugenio entered his office demaning to know who helped Dario escape. Fabricio named Dario's lawyer.

José Luis went home and had to face Leo's questions about Sonia, which he didn't like. He left the room shouting that he didn't torture her.

Majo confronted the maid about the liquor and Renata had told her to lock it all up. Renata tried to tell her that she gave the order for her own good. She could not understand how Majo could even care about Dario after what he had done to them all. Majo could not have been in her right mind when she accused Renata of not being in hers. She finally picked up her purse and ran out.

Fabricio feigned ignorance of Dario's escape and expressed concern about the current inability to get him to change his statement. Eugenio closed the office door and told him that Dario was their enemy. Fabricio asked if there were “issues with your fiancée.” Eugenio was more worried about Fernanda and warned him that she knew too much. He was to persuade her to leave the company. Fabricio knew that this came from a conflict with Victoria and needled him a little. Eugenio didn't rise to this and told him that he was to get Fenanda to trust him again and at the right moment ditch her and take her son.

Teresa found José Luis preparing to sleep on the couch and said he could come back to the bedroom with her. He told her in no uncertain terms that he would not and more, that he never wanted to touch her again for the rest of his life. She went back up the stairs, ignoring his request to turn out the light.

Dario found Majo at her watering hole. Despite his attempt at persuading her he would change his statement she did not want to deal with him. He told her there was a change of plan and they would go away together. She tried to tell him off. She took out her phone and started to call Leo but he grabbed her hand to drag her out. She shouted to the other customers that he had threatened to kill her.

In a more elegant establishment with no smoke in the air Christina sat waiting for the reluctant Leo. When he arrived she said to sit, indicating the chair to her right. He deliberately sat in the one opposite her instead, telling her he was not staying for dinner. She said they were going to have a toast and signaled the waiter to pour champagne. She touched his glass; he did not return the gesture. He got up and told her he wasn't going to play her game. She said “Think of it this way; this dinner will save a life. It could be yours.”

Dario tried to convince Majo that he would help Elisa. He would need only five days. She didn't believe him, said so, and ran out. He didn't try to stop her.

Leo told Christina he knew she was working against him. Christina kept up her mind games. He got up to leave without consuming any of the champagne and this praying mantis said they would be together again. He walked out.

Mario arrived at Adriana's place at her summons. This was to talk about how too many things had been going south for Leo, starting with Sonia. Mario pointed out, confused though he was about this, that Julia's murderer is likely to be a member of Elisa's family, so if Leo found this out he would lose her.

Renata woke Majo out of her stupor the next morning and Majo told her about her conversation with Dario. Renata asked her why she didn't call Leo and she said that Dario needed time. Renata said that Elisa needed to be in court that day and she was going. Majo tried to get out of bed, Renata shoved her back and closed the door on her way out. She called for Marta to come with the key.

Leo went to Fernanda's apartment to look for Sonia. Fernanda denied that she had ever been there but Leo knew better. She continued to lie about this but Leo pointed out that he knew that Eugenio was behind this and that he would fall sooner or later, and all his accomplices with him. Juanito looked from around the doorjamb and Leo pointed out that Fernanda would not want to leave him without a mother.

Fabricio and Victoria arrived at the lockup. He tried to explain to her that Elisa's lawyer would make sure that her situation was presented appropriately.

Adriana asked Leo how his dinner date went and he told her that it was not. What he was sure of was that someone in the precinct had betrayed him. Adriana told him that the only people who knew Elisa would be turning herself in were herself and Mario, so it was neither of them. José Luis' name came up regarding Sonia; both Leo and Adriana suspected that something had gone sideways with that interrogation. Adriana's phone rang. It was Garcia, saying that Elisa would be before the judge in half an hour. As they walked out she talked about how the testimony would contradict Dario's earlier statement.

Elisa was taken to the prisoner's dock in the courtroom. She saw that Renata and Victoria were there.

Eugenio went back to playing mind games with Fernanda, saying he wanted Renata and Majo out of Groupo Cantú. Victoria would remain. He then said she should be able to handle Fabricio and get him back so he would forget Elisa. Further he wanted her to find out whether Fabricio helped Dario escape. She asked him why and he said that he needed to know whether he was their enemy.

Elisa's lawyer pointed out that the arrest warrant against Elisa was drawn up only on the word of the known delinquent, Dario Ramirez.

Christina entered José Luis' office, closed the door and tried to blackmail him into terminating Adriana's employment. If he failed to do so she would investigate the allegations of an improper relationship between him and Adriana.

Elisa's lawyer spoke about her being a blackmail victim of a ring of art smugglers and money launderers. Further, that she was working with the police to end this. The prosecution said that all the bank deposits of the laundered money happened after Majo's kidnapping.
Victoria started getting worried.

José Luis called this extortion, but Christina pointed out that this is part of the investigation that began after Tapia was found dead. There were a lot of millionaire accounts found. He told her that if she had anything on him to reveal it. She said she wanted to negotiate but he wouldn't. He had suspended a number of cops who were suspected of corruption. He asked if any of them were looking for revenge. She tried to change the turn of this conversation, finally asking him if he had five million pesos in the bank. He said he had been savong money for his daughter, but she went on about how an honest cop didn't earn enough to save that much. She threatened to continue investigating it and Leo would not like what she will find if he didn't agree to her offer. He said he could not fire Adriana for no good reason. She said to convince her to resign and say that it was “in the name of our love”. She would then stop investigating their relationship and forget about his suspicious bank account. “I want her out of this precinct. Fast.” Women like this preying mantis always know that another woman can spot them more easily than men can.

Elisa testified that she discovered the illegal activities after her father's death and that Dario had forced her into this after kidnapping Majo. She had tried to escape from it but could not. The prosecutor wanted to interrupt but the judge shut him up. She had helped Leo who later arrested Dario and Dario's accusation against her was part of his revenge. The judge asked why she didn't make this accusation when she was arrested. She told him it was fear because he had connexions in and out of the prison. She feared for her family. The prosecutor accused Elisa of having a power struggle for control of the criminal organization. Elisa's lawyer said he could not make these accusations without proof. If there was no proof, his client must be set free.

Victoria and Renata asked the lawyer if they could talk to Elisa. He told them they would have a chance after these proceedings were over. Leo arrived. Renata tried to talk to him but Victoria stopped her. However, the judge decided that Elisa's failure to report the crimes was complicity, so she would remain incarcerated.

Leo got to the window and told her he would do everything possible to get her free.

Labels: imperio