All Chapters of burden of proof: Chapter 1 - Chapter 7

Three things were true about Preston Hale's murder before Julian Voss ever opened the file: it would be in every paper in Chicago by Friday, it would make somebody's career, and the state's best prosecutor would rather burn his own case to the ground than let Julian win against him a second time.Julian didn't know that last part yet. He would, in about four hours.For now, he didn't look up when Marisol dropped the folder on his desk."Tell me it's not the Hale case.""It's the Hale case."He leaned back and laced his fingers behind his head. "The judge who died in his study. That Hale case.""Judge Preston Hale. Found dead six days ago by his husband. Officially ruled a homicide as of eight this morning." Marisol dropped a second, thinner folder on top of the first. "And you're representing the husband.""The grieving widower.""The twenty-six-year-old grieving widower who stands to inherit eleven million dollars and a house in Door County." She said it without judgment, just fact,

Marcus Aldridge sounded, at first, like any other name.Julian said it out loud in the dark of his apartment, testing whether it would hold any weight at all, and found that it did."ASA, Cook County State's Attorney's Office." Nora's voice was flat, careful, the way she got when she knew a piece of information was about to detonate something. "Eight years in. Runs the Tuesday-Thursday bond call at the Daley Center — has for three years, give or take a few weeks against the tower data. Before that, two years in appeals.""Eight years." Julian sat back against his headboard, the city outside his window indifferent and glittering. "Married? Seeing anyone?""Not that I can find. Lives alone in Streeterville. No socials worth mentioning, which is either discipline or a habit belonging to a man who's spent three years learning to be careful.""Careful is right." Julian closed his eyes. "Nora — say the part you haven't said yet."A pause. "He's not just any ASA, Julian. He's in Cole's offic

The building's security guard had already given up trying to look like he wasn't watching everyone in the lobby by the time Julian got there.Adrian was already inside, badge out, talking to a woman in a rumpled blazer who had the particular tired authority of someone who'd been doing this job long enough to stop being surprised by any of it."Detective Marsh." She turned when Julian walked up, assessed him in under two seconds, and didn't look impressed. "You'd be the defense attorney.""Julian Voss. I take it you've heard my name.""I've heard your name from three different people in the last hour, none of them kindly." Marsh glanced at Adrian. "You want to explain to me why opposing counsel on a murder case is standing in the lobby of my missing person's building at ten-thirty at night?""Because Marcus Aldridge is connected to both our cases," Adrian said, "and because I'd rather have Voss where I can see him than chasing this on his own with his investigator two steps ahead of CP

Marsh's text came through a little after two that afternoon: Blood type matches Aldridge's. DNA confirmation 48-72 hrs. Treating scene as a probable assault, full stop. Wanted you to hear it from me before it hits a wire service.Julian read it twice, then walked it down the hall to Marisol's office without knocking."It's official," he said. "Or as official as a blood type gets. Somebody hurt Marcus Aldridge in those woods three nights ago, and nobody's found him since."Marisol looked up from her screen, already reaching for a legal pad. "That changes the filing.""It changes everything." Julian dropped into the chair across from her desk. "I want an emergency motion drafted by end of day. New evidence bearing directly on an alternate suspect, timeline establishing Daniel's continuous custody, the works. If Rachel Kim's office doesn't move to reconsider these charges on their own, I want a judge doing it for them.""You think Whitfield grants it?""I think Whitfield's a fair judge w