The Lake House

38|| A Year Later

Lesley sat in front of her laptop, enveloped by the soft aroma of recently bloomed red roses wafting in through the open window. The morning's fresh summer breeze drifted in, causing the curtains to sway back and forth. The gentle touch of the wind playfully tickled the back of her neck as she patiently waited for the browser to load.

Having missed the verdict being read at the courthouse the previous day, she opted to check the outcome of the case online. With nimble fingers, she typed into the keyboard, The Arcaden Daily. The timer icon spun and the website to the newspaper appeared. Hovering her hand over the mouse, her heart raced with anticipation. With a shaky finger, she clicked on the link.

The site loaded. She gulped as she read that morning's headline. A whirlwind of emotions surged within her, specifically an immense sense of relief and gratitude.

Jacqueline and Charles Montreal sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.

Lesley breathed a sigh of relief, and a single tear traveled a path down her cheek. She closed the laptop and strolled over toward the window. Gazing out at the glimmering lake, memories flooded her mind. But she realized now that it was time to move on.

***

After the event transpired last year, Jackie and Charlie found themselves behind bars with a multitude of criminal charges hanging over them. They sought out the expertise of a high-powered attorney, hiring him to take on their case. However, Jackie's arrogant aura and sense of entitlement blinded her to the close-knit nature of Arcaden's community and their imminent stance for justice.

The majority of residents were intimately acquainted with the chilling details of the Leah Meyers case. Their collective memory and stance for justice ensured that Jackie and Charlie wouldn't slip through the cracks of it. The Arcaden community, still haunted by the near-murder of Leah during her captivity in their basement, was resolute in their demand for due process. Jackie and Charlie were destined to face the consequences of their crimes, and payment was inevitable.

Officer Todd had recovered well in the hospital. While he was there, Nick and Lesley visited him every other day to show their appreciation to him as they realized he had put his life on the line to protect them. Upon being discharged, he made the very difficult decision to take an early disability retirement from the Arcaden Police Department due to the permanent damage he sustained to his eardrum, which resulted in the loss of hearing in his left ear. Through this trying time, he rediscovered his love for coaching as he was able to dedicate more time to coaching the town's little league team in addition to spending much more quality time with his wife, which brought him pure happiness.

Denise was beyond ecstatic when Gary was finally released from jail. They had discovered that Greg framed Gary as Lesley had initially suspected. He did so with the help of Jackie and Charlie.

As Nick's memory returned, he recalled Jackie and Charlie collaborating with Greg to restrain him. Greg had confined Nick in the back of a car, intending to use him as leverage to force Lesley to stop her amateur investigation into the Leah Meyers case. However, their plan unraveled, leading to their ultimate imprisonment.

Despite justice prevailing, Lesley's heart ached persistently for their young daughter, Alexis, who was now in the care of Jackie's estranged sister, Marlene. On the courthouse stand, Marlene divulged the truth behind Jackie's nature.

"Jackie has always been deceitful." Marlene began, her voice soft and melodic, capable of even soothing a baby to sleep. "When our parents passed away within a year of each other, Jackie revealed her true colors. She visited me at my home in New York City with a seemingly friendly demeanor. I was happy to see her. Although we had been estranged for a while, we only had each other left now that our parents had passed."