Final Verdict ( Mike Daley/Rosie Fernandez Mystery #4 )

"Now fate throws a curveball at the San Francisco ex-husband-and-wife legal team of Mike Daley and Rosie Fernandez, when Mike picks up the phone and hears the voice of Leon Walker. This is not good news - because Walker was the one who ruined their marriage. Years ago, he and his brother participated in a stickup that left a man dead. Through a series of (some said) questionable maneuvers, Mike got the charges dropped, but he and Rosie fought about it all the time and it finally drove a wedge between them." Now a Silicon Valley venture capitalist has been found dead in a dumpster on San Francisco's skid row, and the new murder has been pinned on Walker. Not only does he tell Mike he is innocent, he says he is a dying man and doesn't want to go to his grave proclaimed a murderer. Taking the case could be a disaster in all kinds of ways, but something about it niggles at Mike, and he can't let it go, even after Rosie says she will have nothing to do with it, and the politically ambitious DA makes it clear there's no way she's cutting a deal, and the pile of evidence against Walker seems only to get higher and deeper. Dogged investigation, courtroom nimbleness, and a healthy dose of luck have helped Mike before, but it looks like it'll take more than that to prevail in this case, and time is running out - both for his client and, just maybe, for his partnership. Fate throws a curveball at the San Francisco ex-husband-and-wife legal team of Mike Daley and Rosie Fernandez, when Mike picks up the phone and hears the voice of Leon Walker. This is not good news-because Walker was the one who ruined their marriage. Years ago, he and his brother participated in a stickup that left a man dead. Through a series of (some said) questionable maneuvers, Mike got the charges dropped, but he and Rosie fought about it all the time and it finally drove a wedge between them.Now, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist has been found dead in a dumpster on San Francisco's skid row. The new murder has been pinned on Walker, but he not only tells Mike he is innocent, he says he is a dying man and doesn't want to go to his grave proclaimed a murderer. Dogged investigation, courtroom nimbleness, and a healthy dose of luck usually have helped Mike before, but it looks like it'll take more than that to prevail this time, and his time is running out-both on his client and, just maybe, on his partnership.