An unusual silence prevailed in the office as Uriel Zander and Karen Foster sat amidst case files, trial transcripts, and fresh findings from Jake Oliver, in a conference room. It was late; most of their colleagues had gone to their homes for the night. The only sound was the low hum of the air conditioner and shuffling of papers as Uriel methodically went through all the evidence.Karen sat opposite him, shuffling through the notes they had jotted down earlier. She looked up as Uriel, typically vocal with opinions and suggestions regarding any development in this case, remained mum since Jake's bombshell on the doctored footage taken from the surveillance cameras outside the apartment complex."This could be big," Karen said, first to break the silence. "If the footage was tampered with, it could bring into question the whole case."Uriel nodded, eyes fixed on the papers in front of him. "It's a good start, but we have more than just the fact it was edited. We need to prove why it was edited and more importantly who benefited from it. The prosecution is going to attempt to say it's a mistake or minimize it."Karen leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples. "Do you think Ellen Price knows about the footage being tampered with? Or is she as in the dark as we were?""I would not be surprised if she didn't know," Uriel finally said, looking up. "Price is good, but she plays by the book. If someone on her team doctored this footage, they most likely did it without her knowledge. But that doesn't change the fact that it could blow their case wide open."Karen tapped her pen against the table, thinking. "So, what's the plan? We can't just drop this in the middle of the trial without preparing for the fallout."Uriel's mind was already working through different strategies. He had received his fair share of bombshells in court before, but the name of the game was timing and follow-through. They could not afford to tip their hand too early, or Price would have time to regroup and spin the new evidence to her advantage."We hold it until the right moment," Uriel said, leaning forward. "First, we need to get Jake's full report on the footage, including the missing segment. Once we have that, we'll cross-examine the lead detective, put the footage into evidence, and let the jury see that the prosecution's version of events isn't the whole story."Karen nodded slowly. "And what about the witnesses? The shopkeeper was shaky, but the other witness, the woman who lived in the building nearby—she seemed more confident.""That's what worries me," Uriel admitted. "The more confident the witness, the more we have to assume she's well-prepared or genuinely believes what she saw. In any case, it will be difficult to shake her on the stand. We need somehow to undermine the credibility of a witness without actually looking like we attack a reliable one."Karen raised an eyebrow. "You have any ideas on how to do that?"Uriel smiled faintly. "I've been considering it. She said in her testimony that she saw it all from the apartment window. But the problem is, it was a question of angle—the building was aligned in such a way that she hadn't been able to clearly see anything, especially as that wasn't exactly what you'd call a low-pressure situation. If we can prove her vantage point wasn't as good as she claims, then we may have an opening to cast some doubt into her certainty.""Do we have any photos or diagrams of the area from her perspective?" Karen asked, already flipping through the case file again."I took some when I visited the crime scene," Uriel replied, pulling out his phone and showing her the pictures. "Her line of sight is partially obscured by a fire escape and billboard. It's not much, but it's a possibility."Karen pored over the pictures, a slow grin spreading. "That's good. Real good. If we can show that the view was obstructed for her, then that can raise doubt about all of the testimony she gave."Uriel leaned back, speaking aloud in thought. "We mix that with the doctored video, and immediately the whole case for the prosecution starts to come apart. Price will be scrambling to regain her footing, and the jury will start to doubt everything they've so far been told."Karen was silent a moment, then blew out a sigh. "You know, sometimes I forget how good you are at this."Uriel chuckled low in his throat. "Sometimes, I do too."The following day, they made their presentation to Jake Oliver, who indeed had come through with a detailed report about the surveillance footage. He had retrieved the missing segment, and just as Uriel had suspected, the complete video showed more than what the prosecution wanted him to reveal.In the missing segment, a second figure showed up—somebody running away from the scene just moments before the figure that resembled Salazar. It wasn't long, but it was just enough to crack open a can of doubt that the crime may have been perpetrated by someone else. Uriel knew this was the type of reasonable doubt that could shift the tide in their favor."We'll need expert testimony regarding the footage," Uriel explained as he reviewed Jake's report. "Someone who can put this tampering into terms a jury can understand.""I've got a guy," Jake said. "A forensic video analyst—pretty much the top in his field. He can break this down and make it clear this was not an accident. Whoever tampered with the footage knew what they were trying to do.""Good," Uriel replied. "We'll need him in court by tomorrow."That afternoon, Uriel and Karen again sat in the large conference room in court, putting finishing touches on their strategy for the next phase of the trial. As they worked over the details, Karen leaned back in her chair, her eyes flicking over Uriel."You've got that look again," she said."What look?""The one where you're about to pull off something impossible," she said, still grinning. "I swear, sometimes I don't really know how you do it."Uriel smiled faintly. "It's all about keeping the other side guessing. The minute they think they've figured you out, you hit them with something they didn't see coming."Karen nodded, the smile gone as she turned more somber. "I know this case has a lot riding on it. Not just for Salazar, but for you too. You've got the whole city watching now. The media's already painting you as this prodigy defense attorney.""I don't care about that," Uriel said softly. "I care about the client. The case. Everything else is just noise."Karen studied him for a moment longer, then leaned forward, setting her elbows on the table. "You sure? 'Cause there's a lot of noise coming your way. You've got big law firms knocking down your door. Even Price is probably wondering how long you'll stay at the Public Defender's Office."Uriel shrugged, looking only at the papers in front of him. "I'm not in this for the fame or the money. As long as I'm making a difference, that's what matters."Karen watched him for a beat longer, then smiled softly. "You're a good guy, Uriel. That's rare in this business."Uriel met her eyes. "I don't know about that. I just do what I have to."They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Karen spoke again. "We're ready for tomorrow, right?" The silence was broken by her question.Uriel nodded. "We're ready."Early the next morning, Uriel and Karen marched into the courthouse to face the very long day ahead of them. He had lined up the testimony of the forensic video analyst and planned the tampered footage to be introduced at just the right moment.As Uriel walked down the halls of the courthouse, a sense of serenity washed over him. He had done everything he could in terms of preparation. Now, it was all about executing the game plan and trusting in the work they had done.Karen caught up to him, just as they were going into the courtroom. "Ready to shake things up?"Uriel smiled. "Let's make it count."As they stepped into the courtroom, Uriel could feel the weight of the trial bearing down on him. Across from them sat Ellen Price, her face set in determination. The jury watched closely, their eyes darting from defense to prosecution, and vice-versa. The media softly buzzed in the background, ready to report on every move.But he didn't think about cameras, or journalists, or the prestige of this case. He thought about the facts, about evidence, and the story he was about to tell—a story that would tear down the prosecution's case and bring in the type of doubt that wins a case.As the trial resumed, Uriel took one deep breath, ready to launch the next stage of his defense.