Killing Time

In the early 1980's Fraser is still cutting his teeth at the prestigious law firm Edwards & Baros. The only problem is; the clients he is bringing in are hardly "prestigious stock". Armed robbers, drug dealers and bikies now fill the waiting rooms. His reputation begins to spread throughout the underworld of Melbourne and it is not long before he is approached by its king: Dennis 'Mr Death' Allen and his firebrand mother Kath Pettingill . What Fraser doesn't know however, is that when the charges escalate to murder, Mr Death has a habit of taking the law into his own hands.

As Fraser continues the daily struggle of keeping Dennis Allen out of Jail, it becomes clear that Dennis wants Fraser exclusively. Especially when he discovers Fraser is representing a local biker gang who are moving into Dennis' territory.

As Dennis' empire crumbles around him, Fraser is called to defend his friend, Lewis Moran, against a pub shooting charge. Fraser is sure he can beat the charges with a little legal cunning, but his challenge is keeping Moran out of trouble.

Following the death of Dennis Allen, Fraser reluctantly accepts the invitation to represent his younger brother - Victor. Victor goes on an unprecedented bank robbing spree that culminates in the shooting of his friend and colleague Graeme Jensen by police. Victor plots revenge and when two young police constables are ambushed and murdered in Walsh Street, Victor is the prime suspect. Fraser finds himself destined to become a principal defense lawyer in what is still known as one of Australia's most cold blooded crimes.

The murder of the two young constables has turned Melbourne up-side-down. The police are desperate in their pursuit of the murderers- and the rules between cops and crims are changed forever. The ongoing raids and arrests by the newly formed police task force get them no closer to the culprits or the missing murder weapon. Amongst it all Fraser calls publically for calm but to many, including Denise, he seems to be taking the suspects' side. This grows into an open animosity between himself and the police - especially when they suspect he knows where the missing gun is. On a lonely morning, he is told by a police officer in no uncertain terms that he should provide the smoking gun or expect to feel the full weight of the Victorian Police Force.

After Victor Peirce and cohorts are officially charged with the Walsh Street police killings, Fraser builds a defence plan with his team of lawyers and barristers. His central strategy being, to remind the media, that in Australia one is innocent until proven guilty. There is still little evidence to connect Victor - except for the fact that his wife Wendy and nephew are now giving the police hard evidence against him. But when tensions within the police task force spill out, Wendy turns, changes her evidence and becomes a hostile witness. Victory seems close, but the pressure sees Fraser leaning heavily on cocaine.