Chapter Five

Author's Note: Final chapter. I am sorry this took so long to post, but I hope my readers will enjoy how I finished this one off.

S-Jay494: Thank you so much. To be honest, I was surprised to find any Campion fic at all as it seems to be a mystery series that has flown under most people's radar. Thus, I couldn't resist adding my own entry. Also, thank you so much for your very kind words on how I handled Campion and Lugg. Characterization is always huge for me, so I'm thrilled that you enjoyed my spin on them.

And yes, Lugg is wonderful and is so much fun to write for.

Lugg was ready to scowl at that comment, but did his best to maintain a studiously neutral expression. This wasn't a good start at all, and he felt his chances at receiving an early parole dwindling. A glance over at Campion, however, managed to renew his determination.

"I know I 'ave a record. And there's a lot there. I ain't sayin' any of it was right, but I never acted indecent or vulgar. Not once, see? Never threw me fist anyone 'ooo didn't get at me first. Never went for a begger 'ooo couldn't get by on 'is own. I ain't sayin' I didn't do wrong, but I still 'ad me 'onor. I mean, I never jus did any sort of job to get by."

"All very interesting, but the fact remains that you did break the law," the judge replied. "Quite frequently, I might add. What sort of crimes you committed will have little bearing on my decision. Although, I will say that, if you did have a record of violent crime, we would not have even bothered with this hearing."

"I understand," Lugg said. "I'm jus' makin' it clear that I 'ave always 'ad standards. And now…well, I've changed. I don' want nothin' to do wit' the low sort of life I 'ad before. From now on, it'll be 'onest, respectable living for me."

"I see," the judge said, nodding. "Then, I assume you already have made plans for respectable employment once you leave Parkhurst."

Lugg nodded. "I 'ave."

"And what are those plans?"

Lugg paused and stole another look at Campion. During the entire time he had prepared for this hearing, Campion still had not given him a definite answer to his proposal to work for him as his valet. And given what was at stake, Lugg did not want to make a declaration he could not back up with one hundred percent certainty.

"I've learned a variety of skills," he said carefully. "They weren't used as they should 'ave bin before, but I could be very useful in a 'ousehold. Minding the grounds, fixing things up. That sort o' thing."

"You mean, you could work as a sort of general dogsbody?"

"That's right," Lugg nodded. "I'd 'elp keep things in order."

"I see," the judge said again. He leaned toward the man on his right, and the two of them conversed in low tones for a couple of minutes before he addressed Lugg again.

"We have a statement from the warden attesting to your good behavior while imprisoned," he continued. "It states that you have volunteered for extra duties. Work in the kitchen, laundry and janitorial departments. I assume this is part of your decision to pursue employment in domestic work."

"That's right," Lugg said. "I'm learning about keeping up a 'ousehold."

The judge scribbled some more notes. Then he turned his gaze toward the table that Campion was sitting at.

"I understand you have brought witnesses to speak on behalf of Mr. Lugg's character."

"Yes my lord," Hargrove said, rising to his feet. I have here Sergeant Stanislaus Oates who has something to say."

"Sergeant Oates..."The judge looked down at his notes. "My word, were you not the one who arrested the prisoner in the first place?"

Oates rose to his feet, taking off his hat and tucking it under his arm. "I am."

"And yet you are here to speak on this man's behalf?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Quite unusual, isn't it, Sergeant? Unless you are here to tell us that there was a mistake made when arresting this man."

"No, my lord, no mistake," Oates replied. "He…the prisoner…was seen exiting the premises in question and when I searched him, he still had some of the baron's property on his person. There was no mistake in the arrest, my lord."

"Then why have you come here today if not to recommend against the early release of the prisoner?" the judge inquired.

Oates paused long enough to glance at Campion and Lugg before speaking again.

"I believe it is only right that the circumstances of Mr. Lugg's arrest be known. I was in pursuit of him on the rooftops of the buildings that surrounded the baron's rooms along with Mr. Campion. Mr. Campion had been assisting the police with a forgery case at the time and was present when the prisoner was spotted."

"I understand," the judge nodded. "Proceed."

"Right," Oates said. "As I was saying, I was in pursuit of the prisoner and had almost managed to apprehend him when…."

Oates paused again, a rueful expression appearing on his face. The judge, however, had little patience for Oates' reluctance.

"Well? Go on then."

"I was in pursuit when, unbeknownst to me, I happened upon some old wire that had been left on one of the office buildings. I became caught up in it and lost my balance. I nearly fell headlong onto the street, but managed to grab onto the edge of the roof with the barest of handholds. Mr. Campion came to my aid straight away, but the two of us were only just holding on."

The judge and his assistant listened to this report with interest, as did Lugg who was still stunned that the constable who had nabbed him had actually showed up to tell the judge all this.

"Fortunately for us, Mr. Lugg came over to offer his assistance as well," Oates added. "He helped Campion into a more secure position and then hauled me back onto the safety of the rooftop, saving my life. I think it's fair to say that, Mr. Campion and I might not have made it if it wasn't for Mr. Lugg's assistance."

The judge nodded and wrote onto another piece of paper in front of him. For a moment, it looked as if Oates had finished and was about to sit down, but then he spoke again.

"I believe it should be noted that the prisoner would have most likely escaped if he had not chosen to aid Mr. Campion and myself. Thus, while there is no doubt to the veracity of his guilt, he appears to have the moral character to consider the lives of others over his own safety and comfort in a perilous situation."

"And I believe I can add to that assertion, my lord," Hargrove said. He held up a sheet of paper. "I have here a statement from the prisoner which was witnessed by Mr. Campion and one of the guards. It states, in Mr. Lugg's own words, that Mr. Lugg "wouldn't have felt right" if any harm had come to Sergeant Oates in the course of his apprehension. And, in this same statement, he asserts that he would have acted in the same manner if he faced a similar situation."

Lugg turned his face to stare at Campion. He wasn't entirely comfortable with the fact that a private conversation between them had been made part of a public record. However, he also noticed that that statement and the statement Oates had given appeared to impress the judge.

Perhaps there was still a chance for this to go favorably after all.

Then suddenly, a thought, an absurdly improbable thought, popped into Lugg's brain: what if Campion had planned all of this? Could this have been the reason why Campion had pestered him for weeks about his motives for saving that rozzer's life?

No, it wasn't possible. Campion could not have foreseen things working out for him just this way. He couldn't have known how important his reasoning for saving Oates would end up being.

Could he?

"My lord, we believe that Mr. Lugg's altruistic actions coupled with his good behavior and desire to gain the necessary skills for honest employment strongly indicate that he has learned the error of his past actions and is well on his way to becoming a reformed man," Hargrove said. "And my lord should know that we also have the assurance of Mr. Campion that Mr. Lugg will have gainful employment upon his release from Parkhurst."

Hargrove stepped in front of the table he had been seated at while he spoke with Lugg watching his every movement.

"Therefore, in spite of his less than exemplary record, we feel it's appropriate to give Mr. Lugg the opportunity to become a productive member of society so we might give the cell he currently occupies in Parkhurst to one who has not learned this valuable lesson yet."

The judge watched him silently as Hargrove returned to his seat. Then he looked down at the notes he had made and added to them. Once again, he leaned over and whispered with the man at his side and then with the warden before going back to his papers.

This continued on for several minutes. Lugg was tempted numerous times to demand that the judge stop messing about and get on with his decision one way or another. Instead, he just managed to resist the urge. He contented himself with a scowl which he hoped conveyed seriousness rather than boredom and menace.

After twenty minutes, the judge looked up and cleared his throat. He motioned with his hand for Lugg to stand up.

"Mr. Lugg, I have thoroughly examined your record and have found it, quite frankly, disgraceful. I believe that you are completely unrepentant for your past actions and do not doubt for one moment that you would have been drawn toward a life of crime even if Providence could undo all the years you spent engaging in nefarious activities."

Lugg felt a knot in his stomach, but made sure to keep his face rigidly neutral. No matter what happened, there was no way he would ever let this judge see how hopeful and scared he had felt.

"Nevertheless, this review is not about your past. Rather it's about your future. And in regards to that, there are favorable signs that you do indeed intend to move on from your previous life of recidivism. Also, I have the assurance of Mr. Campion, to whom I have already spoken to privately, that he will bear some of the responsibility for ensuring that you do not slide back into your old habits. Mr. Campion, I trust that you fully appreciate the trust that's been placed upon you?"

"I do, my lord," Campion nodded, his tone completely serious and dignified for once.

"Good." The judge turned his attention back to Lugg. "Make no mistake, Mr. Lugg. I expect you to shoulder the largest share of this responsibility. I am acting on the good faith that you will take hold of the opportunity we are granting you and will remain on the path of decency. But mark my words, Mr. Lugg, if I ever hear of any more criminal activity from you, I shall not hesitate to do everything in my power to make sure that you receive the gravest punishment the law will allow and that you will never again be considered for early release. Is that understood?"

Lugg nodded emphatically, not trusting himself to speak in a tone appropriate to the situation. The judge gave a curt nod of his own in response.

"Right then, it is the judgment of this review board that the prisoner Maggersfontein Lugg shall be released on this day to the custody of his employer, Mr. Albert Campion. It is also decided that this judgment will be brought under review in a year's time, and if the expectations of parole have been met, Mr. Lugg can consider his debt to society paid in full. And Heaven help both of you if I ever see either of you in front of me again."

Lugg blinked several times in surprise. It was the result he had hoped for, dreamed about for the last two weeks. And yet, now that it had come, there was an unreality about it that he couldn't get past. At that moment, he didn't know if he wanted to laugh, whoop in excitement or just continue to gape in shock.

He eventually settled on heading over to the table where Campion, Oates and Hargrove were standing and talking in animated tones.

"My word, that was a close one, Campion," Hargrove said. "I don't know what you said to that old fellow, but it must have been magical."

"Perhaps you should consider spreading some of that charm to my superintendent," Oates said gloomily. "I'm still not sure how this is going to look, my testifying on the behalf of a known repeat offender. You do know, Campion, that there was talk of a promotion to detective recently."

"I wouldn't worry about it, Stanislaus," Campion grinned at him. "You do have the satisfaction of knowing that you repaid the debt of a man who owes his life to another. At least your honor has been upheld."

Oates gave Lugg a wary look. "Honor is well and good, but I'm not entirely sure that this man has reformed." Lugg glared at him which produced a nervous blink from Oates.

"Nonsense," Campion laughed. "Old Lugg here has completely committed himself to the Straight and Narrow from here on out. The acts of his misspent youth shall remain a thing of the past."

Oates continued to look doubtful at the continued stony stare from Lugg, but Campion was undeterred.

"Besides, I have a feeling your promotion is in the bag, to use the vernacular. Especially after your superiors hear that you have a line on that bank robbery near Camden that has everyone so baffled."

"You mean…you actually got that blighter to talk?" Oates said, hope appearing in his eyes.

"Not exactly. But he did give himself away anyway. I just need to fix up a couple of minor details tonight, and he should be in your lap by tomorrow. And I am fully expecting you to take me out for a drink when you do get that promotion."

"You help me nab the Camden Town bank robbers and there will be dinner after that drink," Oates said. "My wife makes a roast beef that could be a main course in any of the good restaurants in my neighborhood."

"I shall hold you to that," Campion said, beaming at him. Then he turned to Lugg, a smile still on his face which had the effect of finally distracting Lugg from Oates.

"Look 'ere, wot's all this about yer 'aving a job?"

"Dear me, don't tell me you've forgotten already," Campion said. "And after all the arrangements I made."

Lugg was about to say more, but just then, a guard came up behind them.

"Excuse me, but there is some processing to be done. Shouldn't take more than an hour, sir."

"Right," Campion replied. "I shall take care of things on this end, and I will see you later, Lugg. Until then…oh, I almost forgot, I do hope the hat will work out all right. I wasn't sure about it, you see."

"The wot?" Lugg said.

A nudge from the guard, however, put a halt to any additional conversation.

Lugg was led back to his cell where a barber was waiting for him to give him a shave which Lugg readily accepted. Then, a brown paper package, loosely tied with string, was placed in front of him.

"Your clothes," the guard explained. "They've already been inspected. Hurry up and change so we can finish the paperwork."

The guard retreated from the cell, and Lugg sat down on his cot to open up the package. What he found shocked him to the core.

Inside was a tailored, waist-length jacket with a matching black vest. There was also a crisp, high collar shirt, a black tie, and black trousers with a white pinstripe. Completing the ensemble was a pair of black leather boots and a black bowler hat.

Lugg looked over each piece more than once. He'd never owned a suit like this before, one that was made for him and of such good quality. Lugg knew that it had to be from Campion and he spent another minute wondering how he was going to repay this latest gesture of generosity.

Lugg took his time dressing, studiously making sure that every tip he had received from Evans about how to handle such fine clothes was followed. He wished he had a mirror. Partially to make sure everything looked all right and partially just to see if he looked as different as he felt.

A little over a half an hour later, he met Campion outside Parkhurst, another paper bundle under his arm.

"Oh dear," Campion said with a slight frown. "I was wrong about the hat after all."

"Wot do you mean wrong?" Lugg frowned. "I think it's very smart."

"Yes well, you've also spent the last year in a prison tunic. Hardly beneficial for building a man's sartorial taste."

"I kept it," Lugg said, patting the package under his arm. "Sort of a souvenir."

"Yes, but please refrain from wearing that when company comes. First impressions and all that."

Lugg decided to be magnanimous and ignore these sarky remarks on his taste in clothes and keepsakes. "Cock…about these 'ere clothes…."

"A necessary expense," Campion said, clearly anticipating his remark. "We'll say no more about it. After all, if you are going to be my personal factotum, I can't afford to have you milling about while looking like the ex-criminal that you actually are."

"You mean….?"

"It's what we agreed to, isn't it?" Campion said, his eyes wide and expectant. "I did hope that you were serious. The fact is, I've been meaning to take on some help for a while now. But I'm afraid more than one applicant has been put off by my…how shall we say…unique prerequisites for the job."

"Unique," Lugg scoffed. "More like they realized wot yer business was and was scared off. Not to worry, 'Bert. You'll not put me orf so easily. A lil' trouble don' make no odds to me."

"Don't call me Bert. And I'm glad you said that because I may need you to accompany me tonight to Camden Town to clear up that spot of trouble you heard me mention to Oates."

"Right…though, I take it there's nothin'…illegal about this?"

"A bit questionable, perhaps. But nothing outside the law, no."

"That's all right then," Lugg nodded. "Wouldn't look too good my gettin' into that sort of trouble the day I got out."

"But we will need to stop by my flat at some point before we head out. It's on Bottle Street, just off Piccadilly."

"Bottle Street," Lugg repeated to himself. He brought up a picture of the area in his mind and soon, a revelation came to him. "'Ere now, that's right next to the police station."

"Actually, it's right above it," Campion corrected. "An ideal location for someone in my sort of profession. Couldn't believe the luck I had in acquiring it. I'm sure it will provide you with all the inspiration you'll ever need to remain true to your promise to pursue honest work from this moment on. Now, how about a beer? I know a good pub that is just right for this occasion. You'll like it, I'm sure."

Lugg rolled his eyes, but simply nodded and walked alongside the young man who continued to chatter away.

As he walked, it occurred to Lugg that he had probably just signed up for a life that could be every bit as chaotic as his criminal one had been. If not more so. Not to mention how radically different it would be from what he had been used to. However, as he listened to Campion go on, he felt all of his concerns drift away.

Maggersfontein Lugg wasn't tired any more. He was ready. Ready for the next chapter of his life.