Alejandro Castellanos Vargas

THE BURDEN OF PROOF

This book tells the story of Sandy Stern, a lawyer who one day returned home in Kindle
to find his wife Clara dead in the garage. The entire story turns around Claras death and
a big company named Maison Dixon (MD) which buy and sell a lot of things and for which
Sandy works, because the owner, Dixon Hartnell, is in trouble with government officials.
Moreover, the other characters of this story are: Sandys sister, Silvia, who is married
with Dixon. Also, Ray Radczyk, the detective who attended Claras death and help to
Sandy to clear up her death. Further, Nate, who was Claras doctor. Helen, a good friend
of Sandy, who helps him with his wifes death. Besides, is Sonia Klonsky, who is in
charge of the case of MD against the FBI. Finally, Sandys daughters and his son. Firstly,
his older daughter Marta, a lawyer who works In New York. Secondly, his younger
daughter Kate, who is married to John an employee of MD. Lastly, his son Peter, a doctor
who at the end helps his father to understand Claras death and its relation to MD
problems.

The story begins when Sandy found his wife dead, she was sitting in the drivers seat of
her car with the engine running, the only clue of her death is a little piece of paper that
she left with the sentence, Can you forgive me?. The day of Claras funeral all family
was gathered in Sandys house, that day Kate tell him that she and John are going to
have a baby. Just as the funeral, a FBI car arrived with two men who came to the house
to see Dixon, they gave him a subpoena asked for some accounting papers of MD
because the US government reported suspicious movements of money. So, Sandy
becomes the Dixons lawyer. The same day, Sandy found a hospital bill of Clara, and asks
for help from detective Radczyk for knowing about that bill. Days later, Sandy had to
travel to Chicago, where is the principal office of MD, for review and pick the papers that
FBI asked. Reviewing those papers, he can find the accounting problems and
corroborated that someone was taking money of MD. When Sandy returned to Kindle he
talks with detective Radczyk, he told Sandy that the bill was to pay a test for herpes.
Then Sandy was to talk with Claras doctor, Nate, and he told him that Clara had herpes
since seven years ago. Although, she had controlled that virus with drugs for many
years, now this had reappeared. Moreover, the week following the death of Clara the
family went to talk with Claras lawyer, and he told them that Clara wanted to give some
money to church and there was some for the children. However, he said that $850.000
that were to Sandy, she had taken them from bank a week before she died. At this point,
Sandy had a lot of problems and questions related with MD, Claras virus and money.
Afterwards, Sandy went to talk to Peter about the herpes and Peter confessed him that
his mom had had a romance with Dixon while Sandy was traveled seven years ago. Also,
Peter said that the responsible of accounting problems of MD was John because he
wanted to have money for his baby, Dixon knew this and Clara gave him $850.000 to
pay for the mistakes of John, because she did not want that John go to jail. The same
day, Dixon died of a heart attack. So, the FBI investigation was stopped because he was

Alejandro Castellanos Vargas

the main suspect. Finally, Silvia gives the money to Sandy, and he starts a new
relationship with Helen.