A young drifter is booked for vagrancy after a late-night street stop. A seasoned defense attorney posts bail, and the matter looks simple—until a rich store owner who quietly found her a hotel room draws the eye of a tabloid gossip crew. A pushy reporter starts digging, hinting at scandal. Then the owner’s disliked business partner is found dead, and a small charge blows up into a murder case. As police pressure rises, the attorney teams with a private investigator to track planted evidence, forged checks, and a trail of small cons that may hide a bigger plan. Courtroom moves, tight timing, and careful interviews shift the ground under every witness—what begins as a rescue turns into a race to keep an innocent client out of jail while a killer stays free. Measured questioning and clean legal strategy drive the case toward a final reveal—one built on motive, chance, and a single risky play. "Better-than-average Gardner." - A Catalogue of Crime