Finding Jack: 1888 in Whitechapel

9. Dennis and the Menace

Five years had passed since Joey had joined the force. Enthusiasm filled his entire body as he walked into the police station; the thought such a place being new to him would seem like such a dreamlike idea after spending most days of his life working diligently to catch the sins which prevailed in Whitechapel.

"You must be...Constable Savage!" A man's voice called out, triggering his head to dart in one direction.

"Y-Yes, sir." Joey replied, his eyes quickly scanning his surroundings. Everything – back then – was a lot newer. He remembered his amazement; the desks were a much higher quality than he had anticipated and, whilst the atmosphere remained dull and bleak, in comparison to the dreary city beyond these office walls this particular building was a refuge for lost souls. One minute had passed since he had first entered, and yet a feeling of homeliness had already grabbed his heart and soul. The man before him couldn't have been more than five years older than him and yet his hair was the colour of dust, combed back. This being said, trace elements of the dark colour which prevailed before were still persisting to a degree; this was especially the case in his beard, a network of dark brown hairs which lifted from his nose to his neck. However, his eyes were still full of youth, painted with the vibrant blues which Joey could only associate with the cornflowers which grew in the fields of his childhood.

"Welcome to the Division, my boy." He greeted, placing his hand firmly on shoulder. He smiled like a child, full of wonder and delight; Joey often wondered whether his excitement was even remotely close to that of the gentleman before him. "I'm Inspector Hutchins." He cheered, beginning to walk forwards towards one of the desks. "We'll be working closely together, so feel free to call me Dennis." He then stopped and turned to Joey, who caught a sparkle in his eyes. He pointed down at a desk, "This, my dear fellow, will be your working space!" He clarified, guiding him to take a seat. Upon falling into the seat, Joey noticed a couple of things. One, the seat was not the most comfortable space to be seated. The other thing was that he recognised quickly that he didn't mind this whatsoever. The glee in Inspector Hutchins' tone was contagious and Joey knew now – for certain – that this was where he would reside for the rest of his life.

"Sir, I, um-" Joey began, turning to face his superior. "Thank you."

"Oh, no problem, my dear boy." He replied, haste beginning to build in his tone. "However, I must be off; a body's just been found." Joey's eyes widened, a fact that Dennis quickly picked up on. "Oh, I see this interests you, hm? Come along, perhaps?" He offered; Joey leapt out of his seat in an instant.

"Of course, sir!" He eagerly agreed, tucking his chair back under the desk. However, an obstacle was about to form in his path.

"Uh...Inspector." A new voice interrupted.

"Speak, Roberts." Dennis' face dropped, turning to a man who had interrupted on his right.

"Should we really be trusting the newbie to behave on a murder inquiry on their first day, boss?" The sergeant answered, looking Joey up and down. His face was young and there was no doubt in Joey's mind that they were of similar age. His hair was short, but very clearly as black as the night's sky. While some may have formed an unhealthy disliking to such a person who currently blocked all that he wanted, Joey was optimistic and sat back in his chair.

"He's right." Joey settled, turning back to Dennis. "I'll get my turn later, sir." Inspector Hutchins smiled profoundly, shaking his head in disbelief.

"You're going to make quite the fine officer, lad." He speculated, patting him on the shoulder once more. He then turned, his head continuing to shake, his feet taking him outside. To Joey's surprise, the sergeant had not departed. Instead, he continued to stare at him.