Chapter 17

Jack was perched on the wall pretending to have an interest in the passing boats that were afloat on the Thames. He had spotted the cops roaming the area and decided it was high time he took a little break. He had panicked himself earlier as he had been convinced one of the peelers had been pointing at him but he quickly told himself they can't have been he had done nothing to warrant their attention. He was just being paranoid, they were most probably pointing at something further away.

"Hey Dodge, what yer doin' up there?" Charlie queried finding it odd that Jack was doing absolutely nothing. He was usually at least eyeing the next mark up.

"The Beak." Jack jerked his head in the policemen's direction. Getting the hint Charlie jumped onto the wall next to Jack. Understandably it was particularly unwise to try anything on anyone at the moment.

"Hey, do me a favour will yer, are the beak looking at me?" Jack asked still feeling paranoid.

"Why? What yer supposed to have done?" Charlie chuckled although he was beginning to get worried. What had Jack done?

"I don't know." Jack replied softly. He was still trying to work that out.

Looking over Jack's shoulder, Charlie observed the policeman for a moment and then snapped his head back to Jack.

"You know, they are looking at yer mate." Charlie concluded worryingly. Jack nodded, he had assumed as much.

"Alright, let's see what they do when we starting walking away from 'em." Jack proposed jumping down of the wall and quickly choosing which way to go. He waited for Charlie to jump down beside him and then they set off in the undeviating opposite direction of the beak.

It wasn't long until they were aware they were being followed, after all you didn't spend your life dogging others not to notice when someone was tracking you. They both kept calm and acted causal they didn't want the police to know that they were aware of their presence nor did they want them to think they felt they had done something that could result in arrest.

"You there, sir, stop!" one called out.

Jack slowed down pretending to look around him and then he picked up the pace again. He was sure that it was to him they called but he wanted to make it absolutely clear. It could be Charlie they wanted, just using him as bait.

"I say, you with the top hat, stop in the name of the law!"

No definitely Jack. Who else was wearing a top hat in this alley? Although he loved and cherished his hat, for once he was beginning to wish he had never worn it. Perhaps then he wouldn't have been so easily spotted.

"The law never stopped me before!" Jack whispered to Charlie, coming to a halt and slowly bringing himself round to face the coppers.

"How can I help you officers?" Jack asked in the politest voice he could manage, tipping his hat as a gesture of respect.

"I'm…sorry, sir...I'm afraid you are under arrest…if you would um care to go with me…" the policeman said regrettably considering how polite and cheerful Jack was being.

"Under what charge?" Jack replied sounding most calm and dignified despite his heart beating double time under it all.

"Murder, Sir."

"Murder?!" Jack exclaimed "I'm sorry to disappoint you officers but I am convinced you have the wrong guy."

"Either way Sir if you would accompany us to the station perhaps we can get this mess sorted out." The policeman replied taking out the regulation handcuffs and placing them as carefully as was possible on Jack's wrist.

The only thing left was for Charlie to watch his best friend being taken away by the very people they spent their lives avoiding. In all his years he had never thought he would witness such a scene, never on the job and especially not for something he wasn't (in Charlie's opinion) even capable to doing. He was the Artful Dodger. A title he had gained through experience and talent in dodging the beak.

When Jack and the coppers were finally out of view, Charlie ran all the way back to the den. He burst through the door puffed out and feeling extraordinarily dizzy.

"Dodger's… been…arrested!" he blurted out in the small spurt of breath he had left in him. The room froze.

"What did you say?" Fagin hammered the silence.

"Dodger's arrested." Charlie repeated flopping into a chair.

"For the job?" Fagin inquired, he couldn't believe that his Artful Dodger was arrested for the job he was admirably apt and skilled at. Charlie shook his head. At that Fagin wasn't sure whether to be relieved or concerned at. If it wasn't the job what other reason could there possibly be?

"He was accused of murder!" Charlie wailed. Fagin's eyes nearly popped out their sockets. Dodger may be a criminal but there was no way Fagin could ever see him bend to that degree of criminal activity. He was reluctant to commit burglary for heaven's sake!

"Surely not! Our Dodger committing murder? That can't be right!" Fagin exclaimed seating himself opposite Charlie.

"That's what the beak accused him of!" Charlie said proceeding to explain what he had witnessed in as much detail as he could recall.

The two coppers brought Jack local station and placed him in a temporary cell.

"I demand to know the details of my accusation and subsequent arrest!" Jack said forcefully keeping with the gentleman act whilst he was still in the company of these two particular policemen.

The coppers look at each other, each wondering if letting the prisoner know what he was in for was against the rules, they couldn't see any reason why not although they were confused at the query. Most prisoners knew exactly what they had been arrested for.

The first policeman rummaged on the officer's desk for the arrest warrant. He held up the document when he found it and began to read from it.

"According to this on the 20th November at around midnight you were seen stabbing an unidentified man to death in an alleyway off Market Street, adjoining Mamon Street, and then fleeing from the scene." He reported directly from the warrant.

Jack felt himself burn with mixed emotion. He had been on Mamon Street (aka the posh street) and he knew exactly what he had done that night. That night was the reason Alice was in the state she was now. It was quick to realise the predicament. He knew he was innocent but to explain what he was doing would require Alice's involvement and then consequently her Uncle's of whom Jack wasn't certain would be willing to aid him considering what he would have to learn. So he either waited for the judge to find him innocent or he risked Alice's help which would land her in as much trouble with her uncle then he thought was worth. He would endure and wait.

"Get some sleep, you'll be moved to Highgate tomorrow morning, to await your trial." The policeman told Jack.

Jack sighed and took a look at his surroundings. It was only a small cell, barely enough room to move in. There was a thin wooden bench for him to sleep on and nothing else at all. Mounting the bench he did his best to get comfortable and to catch some sleep. All the while he kept reminding himself 'endure and wait'.

Well another chapter, enjoy and review!