The Man Behind the Wheel
In the sprawling cityscape of Los Angeles, criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller operated his legal practice not from a traditional office but from the backseat of a sleek black Lincoln Town Car. Driven by Earl Briggs, his trusted chauffeur, Mickey moved between courthouses, jails, and seedy neighborhoods, representing clients that ranged from petty criminals to members of biker gangs. Among them was Eddie Vogel, the leader of a motorcycle crew and one of Haller’s most frequent clients.
Mickey’s dedication to his clients was unquestionable, even if his methods and ethical boundaries were constantly under scrutiny. His ex-wife, Maggie McPherson, a prosecutor in the district attorney’s office, often expressed her disappointment in Mickey’s choice of clientele. Though they shared a daughter and still cared for each other in certain respects, their professional ideologies never aligned.
An Unexpected Client
Without warning, Haller was contacted and retained to represent Louis Roulet, a wealthy young man from Beverly Hills. The son of influential real estate magnate Mary Windsor, Roulet was charged with the violent assault of a sex worker named Regina Campo. What puzzled Mickey was Roulet’s insistence on hiring him specifically.
Accompanied by his investigator, Frank Levin, Haller began piecing together Roulet’s case. The evidence was substantial, but something about it didn’t sit right. The photographs and witness accounts bore a disturbing similarity to a case from Haller’s past—one involving Jesus Martinez, a young man who had been convicted for the murder of a prostitute. Despite Martinez’s persistent claims of innocence, Haller had convinced him to accept a plea deal in order to avoid the death penalty.
Disturbed by the parallels, Haller visited Martinez in prison and showed him a photo of Roulet. Martinez’s reaction was visceral. It became evident to Haller that Roulet might, in fact, be the true culprit in the earlier crime.
A Trap and a Murder
Realizing the trap he was in, Haller ordered Frank Levin to dig deeper into Roulet’s background. That night, Mickey returned home to discover signs of a break-in. Awaiting him in the shadows was Louis Roulet. Calm and composed, Roulet confessed to both crimes—the one for which he stood accused, and the one Martinez had been imprisoned for. He admitted to choosing Haller intentionally, binding him by attorney-client confidentiality, and threatening that any attempt to reveal the truth would endanger Mickey’s daughter.
Soon after, Levin was found shot dead. Just prior to his death, he had left Mickey a voicemail, claiming he had found the key to freeing Martinez. The bullet retrieved from Levin’s body matched an antique Colt Woodsman pistol once owned by Mickey’s father. The gun, now missing from its case, had been used to kill Levin, leaving Mickey more vulnerable than ever.
Bound by legal ethics, Haller pressed forward with Roulet’s defense. In court, he skillfully discredited Regina Campo and manipulated the testimony to cast doubt. Meanwhile, he arranged for a jailhouse informant, Dwayne “DJ” Corliss, to testify against Roulet using carefully fed details of the previous crime.
Despite the dubious credibility of Corliss, Mickey’s strategy worked. Roulet was acquitted of the current charge. But immediately upon his release, he was arrested by detectives investigating the older murder case. Roulet’s confident smirk began to fade.
Retaliation and Justice
Now a target, Haller secured a handgun from Earl for protection. His home life, already strained, became increasingly complicated when Maggie discovered Levin had found a parking ticket placing Roulet near the victim’s residence at the time of the earlier murder—undeniable evidence of his guilt.
The confrontation reached its boiling point when Haller returned home to find Mary Windsor waiting in his living room. Calm and composed, she drew the missing Colt Woodsman and shot Mickey, revealing that she had murdered Levin to protect her son. As she prepared to shoot him again, Mickey used the pistol given to him by Earl and fired back. Mary was killed in the exchange.
Though wounded, Haller had survived yet another attempt on his life. Martinez was released soon after, finally vindicated for the crime he never committed. Roulet, though not yet convicted, now faced a legitimate trial with prosecutors determined to pursue the death penalty.
Redemption on the Road
Mickey returned to his Lincoln, driven once again by Earl, the car gliding through Los Angeles traffic. Vogel and his biker gang pulled him over. Rather than confrontation, they offered gratitude. Mickey had protected their interests in the past, and now they sought his services again—this time for a pro bono case. With a wry smile and nod of acceptance, Haller agreed.
Despite the danger, the deceit, and the bloodshed, the Lincoln rolled on. Justice, in its imperfect form, had been served. Mickey Haller, the defense lawyer who worked from the back of a car, had found a measure of redemption.
