Chapter 8 - The Courtroom Reckoning
The trial of Reagan and Carter Dennis became the most sensational high-profile case the state had seen in a decade. The courtroom was packed to capacity every single day. Finnley sat in the front row, wearing a tailored navy suit that had belonged to his father, looking completely reformed and dignified.
The prosecution presented a flawless, devastating sequence of evidence. They played the audio recordings recovered from the storage unit device, showing Carter and Reagan admitting to the flight plan and the hidden assets. The forensic patholgists testified about the arsenic signatures, and Marcus Vance brilliantly dismantled Carter’s digital alibis on the witness stand.
When Reagan took the stand in her own defense, her former elegance was completely gone. She looked frazzled, her hair messy, her voice cracking as she tried to blame everything on her son. "Carter did it! He was the one who bought the chemicals! He told me it was just medicine to keep the old man quiet so we could manage the investments!"
"That's a lie!" Carter shouted from the defense table, restrained by court bailiffs. "It was her idea! She hated him! She wanted the house!"
The judge slammed his gavel repeatedly to restore order, but the damage was done. The two predators had turned on each other in the face of absolute defeat.
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The jury deliberated for less than two hours. The verdict was unanimous: Guilty on all counts.
The judge sentenced both Reagan and Carter to life in prison without the possibility of parole. As Reagan was led out of the courtroom in shackles, she passed Finnley. He didn't look at her with hatred; he looked at her with pity. The truth had finally found its way out.
