Mercedes Escalante (CSI: Miami)

Mercedes Escalante (Elizabeth Peña; 1959-2014) is the villainess of "Simple Man", episode 1.17 of CSI: Miami (airdate February 24, 2003). She was a Miami-Dade councilwoman and the wife of real estate developer Lorenzo Escalante, who was standing trial for the murder of their maid Abby Sandoval, who he had been having an affair with. The episode opened with Mercedes being hounded by reporters, with one asking if her husband's trial would jeopardize her campaign for re-election.
After Bonita Cruz was found shot dead in a fashion mirroring Abby's murder, Horatio Crane (who had been set to testify at Lorenzo's trial) began having his team work to find her killer and prove if Lorenzo was innocent in killing Abby. Mercedes first met Horatio at her office, where she revealed that she'd been following his career for many years before assuring him that she and her staff would cooperate fully with his investigation, eager to help clear her husband's name. Despite assurance from Adelle Sevilla that Mercedes was a good councilwoman that she'd know since childhood, Horatio continued to hold suspicions about Mercedes.
Horatio's suspicions were ultimately proven justified, as it was revealed that Mercedes was the mastermind behind Bonita's murder. As the investigation would prove, Lorenzo had in fact killed Abby, and knowing that her political career would be ruined if Lorenzo were convicted, Mercedes turned heel and colluded with her assistant and Lorenzo's handler Carl Galaz in a murderous plot to exonerate her husband. To do so, the evil Mercedes had Carl place a housekeeping ad to lure a woman similar to Abby to an isolated area, with Bonita answering the ad and ultimately being killed by Carl, who staged the scene to mirror Abby's murder. Mercedes' plot worked, as tests proving Abby and Bonita were killed with the same weapon resulted in Lorenzo being released from custody on a mistrial.
Carmen Abregon, another woman who responded to Carl's ad, was found and questioned, with her description of the man she met regarding the ad revealing Carl as Bonita's killer. While Carl adamantly argued under interrogation that he killed both Abby and Bonita, Horatio remained convinced that Carl was covering for the Escalantes out of loyalty to them for giving him work with them. After leaving the interrogation room, Horatio was approached by Mercedes, who thanked the lieutenant for clearing Lorenzo's name and feigning shock over Carl's arrest. In response, Horatio informed Mercedes that he wasn't done solving Abby and Bonita's murders, leaving Mercedes shocked.
After the bullet that killed Abby was found hidden in the Escalantes' barbeque, Lorenzo was re-arrested while at his golf club with Mercedes, with Lorenzo's angry attempts to get help from his wife going ignored. Mercedes begrudgingly agreed to take a walk with Horatio, who suggested Mercedes intended to give Carl a pardon after she took residence of the Tallahassee governor's mansion. At that, Mercedes warned Horatio that a false accusation could ruin a career, suggesting she would destroy his reputation if he went forward with his belief that she planned Bonita's murder. Horatio replied by saying such an accusation would ruin her as well before leaving her to face the press once more, asking her about Lorenzo's re-arrest. Mercedes' final scene had her telling the press she would perserve to recover from the "tragedy" she facing, successfully masking her role as an ambitious villainess.
==Trivia==
*Elizabeth Peña is perhaps best known for appearing in The Incredibles as redeemed henchwoman Mirage.
==Quotes==
*"Be very careful, Lieutenant Caine. False accusations can ruin a career. I'd hate for that career to be yours." (Mercedes' subtle threat to destroy Horatio's career if he went forward with his belief that she planned Bonita Cruz's murder)
==Gallery==
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Category:2000s
Category:Ambitious
Category:Boss
Category:Brunette
Category:Callous
Category:Conspirator
Category:Deceiver
Category:Live Action Villainess
Category:Murderer
Category:Murder: Indirect
Category:Politics
Category:Sunglasses
Category:Villainous Reveal
Category:Villain's Lover
Category:Fate: Karma Houdini