Plot summary

Sixty-one year old Rozat Sabich - more often called Rusty even in formal circumstances - is the chief appellate court judge of Kindle County, Illinois. He is in an unhappy marriage to Barbara Sabich, who suffers from medically diagnosed psychiatric issues for which she taking an array of prescription medications. Despite there having been infidelity on both sides during the marriage, Rusty will never leave Barbara for the sake of their son, Nat Sabich, who is following in Rusty's footsteps, currently doing his law clerking before becoming a lawyer. Rusty's indiscretion occurred twenty years ago, his mistress who was eventually found murdered, for which he was charged, tried and acquitted, the failure to convict which the district attorney, Tommy Molto, still sees as a black mark on his record. As such, Tommy still tiptoes around Rusty when they are in court together. Barbara believes that Rusty's unfaithful ways continue, specifically with his most recent law clerk, Anna Vostick, who Nat went to school with and who Rusty considers the most talented clerk he's ever had. One day, Barbara is found dead in her bed, Rusty, the person discovering the body, who did not report it to the authorities for 24 hours. The official cause of death is listed as natural causes, specifically heart failure. Because of the case twenty years ago, Jimmy Brand, Tommy's assistant, can't help but believe that Rusty murdered Barbara. Tommy, however, feels he cannot openly attack Rusty again, but allows Jimmy to investigate on his own on the QT. Jimmy does eventually discover enough evidence for Rusty to be charged with murder. Rusty once again retains his old friend Sandy Stern to defend him, he who tried and won the case twenty years ago. Some information that does come to light to a select group, including Sandy and Nat, is that Rusty did have an affair as recently as a year ago, Rusty who feels that the identity of the woman not important due to the affair having ended several months before Barbara's death. Regardless of the truth, what happens at the trial may come down to the priorities each of the major players has.—Huggo