CONVICTED
Chapter Two

I ripped the poster off the pole and ran over to the police officer.

"Who has proof that this man committed this crime?" I demanded, trying to keep my voice down.

"The Bukater family has reported that this man has stolen their jewelry. Why? Do you know where he could be?"

My heart pounded in my chest.

"No," I answered, maybe even a little too quickly.

I ran away from him before he could ask me anymore questions. I ran about town, taking down posters of Jack anywhere I saw them. The only problem was that they were all over the city.

Darkness soon covered the city and I had to return home. I was exhausted and at the same time terribly frightened. I ran home and pushed open the door.

"Jack? Jack?" I called into the house.

There was no response. I went into my room and opened the bottom drawer, stuffing all the wanted posters inside. Suddenly, there was a lot of commotion coming from outside. I walked out the front door.

A bunch of police officers were standing a few feet away from the house. All of them had guns out and pointed. I ran to the police and tried to shove past them.

"Miss, please return to your home," one officer commanded, pushing me back.

I ran past him and saw Jack in the center of it all, being dragged away.

"Jack!" I screamed at him.

He looked up and got frantic.

"Marie! Tell them I didn’t do anything! You know I didn’t!" he yelled, struggling against the police.

"I know you didn’t!" I yelled back.

A police officer pulled me away from the group.

"Miss, return to your home immediately."

"What are you going to do with him?" I demanded.

"He will be taken to prison for tonight. If we find evidence that he has committed said crime, he will be extradited to Ireland."

"No! You can’t!" I screamed, devastated.

The police stuck Jack in the back of an automobile and started to drive away.

"I’ll be all right! Everything will be okay!" Jack called back as the car disappeared down the street.

I sank to my knees in utter devastation.

"Come along, miss," the same police officer said, pulling me to my feet.

I walked back into our house and slammed the door. I leaned against the door and slid to the floor, sobbing.

"Get a grip, Marie. Come on, now," I told myself.

I got up with the door’s support and went back into my room. I took out the wanted pictures. I walked into the backyard and tossed the posters into a metal barrel. Then, striking a match, I tossed it into the barrel and watched as the posters burst into flame.

I stood there, watching the flames eat away at the posters as if they never existed. Soon the fire died out and I went back inside, out of the cold winter air. I went into my room and flopped down on my bed.

I didn’t realize I had fallen asleep until there were several loud bangs on the door. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. It was still dark out. I must have only been asleep for two hours. Somebody kept banging on the door, so I went and opened it.

"Evening, Miss. We’re with the NYPD and we have to inspect your home," a police officer said, holding up his badge.

"What’s this for?" I asked, rather suspicious.

"If your roommate has anything hidden in this house, we need to take it," the other police officer said.

"There is nothing here, but go ahead and look," I said, opening the door for them.

"Thank you, Ma’am."

Three police officers walked into the house, and they took apart everything. They went into the kitchen and tore open the cabinets and went into my room and opened the drawers. They went into Jack’s room last and opened his drawers.

"Ah-ha!" I heard one cop shout.

They all walked out of the room, holding a bag. One cop reached in and pulled out a beautiful, diamond-studded necklace.

I felt the blood drain from my face, and suddenly I felt weak. I leaned against the wall.

"This looks like everything that has been stolen. Thank you for your time, miss. The trial will be held tomorrow, and you are to attend. We will be here to pick you up at noon. The jury will decide the boy’s fate then," one police officer said, and they left.

I somehow made my way back to my room and fell onto the bed. I didn’t bother to slip beneath the covers before I cried myself to sleep.

Inside the Jail Cell

Jack was thrown into a cell and the door slammed shut. The police officer glared at him and walked down the hallway.

"I didn’t do anything! Do you hear me? Get back here and let me go, damn you!" Jack roared, rattling the cell bars.

He turned and punched the wall, nearly breaking his knuckles. He cursed some more and shook the cell bars. Finally, he stopped and leaned against the wall.

"Bastards," he muttered.

Jack ran his hands through his sandy hair, pushing it back out of his face. He wasn’t afraid for himself. He was afraid for Marie. Using the sleeve of his shirt, he wiped away the sweat that was beaded on his forehead.

A police officer walked by and stopped at his cell a few hours later.

"Looks like you’re going back to Ireland, boy. We found the stolen jewelry inside your house," the police officer said, and walked away with a grin on his face.

"I didn’t do it! I’ve been framed!" Jack yelled, shaking the bars again.

He stopped and laid his head against the cold bars.

"I didn’t do it."

*****

I was ready and dressed by noon the next morning, and sure enough, the police came and led me into the automobile. I didn’t say a word the entire car trip, for I was thinking of a way to get Jack out of this.

Someone had planted that jewelry inside our house while we were away. Our house didn’t have locks, so someone could have just sneaked right in. I knew who had done it, too, but I had no proof.

We arrived at the courthouse and I was seated at a small table up in front. To the left of me were Rose DeWitt Bukater and her future husband, Cal Hockley. That was who had framed Jack. I knew it.

Now, the only problem was that we didn’t have a lawyer or anything, so we were pretty much done for. Jack was brought out, and I wanted to cry. He looked exhausted, and he was drenched in sweat. His face was dirty, and he looked about ready to scream.

The judge walked in and was seated in his chair.

The rules were given, and everyone sat down. Cal got up and stood next to the judge.

"Cal Hockley, can you please tell the court exactly what happened?" the judge asked.

"Why, yes. It was the middle of the night, and I heard someone walking around. I told the family to stay in their rooms and I ran down the stairs. A man--that one," Cal said, pointing to Jack, "had a bag of jewels with him. Once he saw that I had spotted him, he ran out of the house. I chased him down the street, but then lost sight of him after about a mile. I returned home and called the police."

"Objection!" I yelled.

"Overruled!"

Next, it was our turn.

"I call Rose DeWitt Bukater," I said.

Rose got up and stood next to the judge.

"Rose, would you agree to everything that Cal has just told the court?" I asked.

"Yes. He told us to wait, and we watched from my mother’s bedroom window as Cal chased the man down the street."

"Did you happen to get a look at this robber?" I asked, looking her right in the eye.

"No."

"Ladies and gentlemen of the court, none of the family saw the man that had stolen their jewelry except for Mr. Hockley. How do we know that he is telling the truth?"

There were a few whispers going around the court.

"Order! Order!" the judge yelled.

"I have no further questions, your Honor."

I sat down in my seat, and Cal’s lawyer walked up.

"I call to the stand Marie Kelp," he said.

I walked up and sat down in the chair.

"Miss Kelp, do you know if Mr. Dawson was home that night?"

"I knew he came home and went to bed, so he was probably sleeping. He came home around six that day."

Cal smiled, making me want to punch him.

"So, isn’t it possible that he sneaked out of the house while you were sleeping?"

"No, it’s not. I’m a very light sleeper, and our floor creaks rather loudly. I would have heard him get up."

"Could he have gone out through a window, perhaps?"

I bowed my head and then looked up.

"Yes, it is possible, but I still don’t believe he did it."

"I have no further questions, your Honor," the lawyer said, and sat down.

This went on for hours, each of us questioning but not really going anywhere. Finally, it was time for the jury to come to a verdict.

I waited impatiently in my seat, all the while not taking my eyes off Jack. He looked worried, but no fear was to be seen.

Finally, the jury stopped talking and returned to the room. One man stood up.

"We find the defendant, Jack Dawson, guilty."

"No!" I screamed, and ran to Jack.

I threw my arms around him, and he did the same.

"It’ll be okay," he said.

"Let’s go, boy. You have a ship to get on."

A few police officers came behind me and began to drag me away. I held tight to Jack’s hands.

"He’s innocent, I tell you!" I yelled.

Another police officer got behind Jack and pulled him out the door. The police released me, and everyone left the courtroom.

Instead of feeling sadness, I felt anger. I turned my head towards the door.

"I’m coming for you, Jack."

Chapter Three
Stories