[music playing]
Empty the cash register into a bag.
Don't look at me. Don't look.
I'm not.
I won't. Please.
Hurry up!
OK, OK.
STEVE: Hurry.
Hurry.
Here, take it.
I'm not looking.
[siren blare]
Halt, police officer!
[car horn]
[music playing]
[SINGING] We never thought we'd find a place where we belong.
Don't have to stand alone, we'll never let you fall.
Don't need permission to decide what you believe woo!
I said jump, down on Jump Street.
Your friends will be there when your back is to the wall.
You'll find you need us, 'cause there's no one else to call.
And if it's hopeless a decision is what you need.
You better be ready to, be ready to jump, 21 Jump Street.
CAPTAIN FULLER: Stephen Campbell.
Valedictorian of his high school class,
was supposed to graduate with honors this spring.
Comes from a nice middle class family.
I mean the kid had everything going for him.
ANTHONY MCCANN: This is the same kid who ran into a truck
after a holdup? CAPTAIN FULLER: Yeah.
I want to know what his kid thought he
had to stick up liquor stores.
JUDY HOFFS: You're not saying I have to go back to college,
are you?
I already have my degree.
Sarah Lawrence over here.
I would like to see what college is like.
You would like to see what high school is like.
Actually, you guys must be reading my mind.
That is exactly my plan.
Now the Penhall brothers are going to move
into the dead boy's old room.
Check around and see if you can dig anything up.
If you come up with a lead, then we're going
to slide in McCann and Hoffs.
Fair enough, guys?
All right, let's get busy.
[music playing]
Don't you think this is kind of creepy,
taking a dead guy's room?
Yeah, it's creepy.
Somebody is going to do it.
[knocking]
Might as well be us.
Puts us right in the right place.
Hi.
I'm Doug Hersh, my brother Joey.
Hi.
Dave Burton.
You have a room to rent?
Yeah, yeah.
Come on, [inaudible].
Great collection.
You like Depeche Mode?
No, they belong to my roommate.
Would you mind not looking through them?
Look, I don't mean to be a pain.
It's just that my roommate died a week ago.
His name was Steve Campbell.
Is that the guy I read about who--
DAVE BURTON: Robbed a store.
Yeah, that's him.
But no, that wasn't him, you know?
We could come back another time, if you want.
DAVE BURTON: I need the rent.
My folks can barely afford my half.
Look, if you guys want you can move in today.
Rent's $250 a month.
$250 a month.
We'll take it.
OK, there's--
[clock bell]
JOEY PENHALL: I don't know, I'm just
flabbergasted and left [inaudible]
of the whole existentialism of it all.
It's just going to be me, you, and a couple of fake fur coats.
That's my ride.
Who's that?
Melinda.
I love your attitude.
Melinda.
Who's Melinda?
Informant.
An informant?
An informants a little guy who asks for $50
when he gives you information.
That's Melinda.
Yeah.
Well, so, I mean does she know anything?
Yeah.
Oh, get out of here.
You're wasting taxpayers' money.
Don't start with me.
How is she an informant?
She told me if I take bonehead English
I can sleep in in the mornings and have my evenings free.
That's not an informant.
What classes, are you taking smarty pants?
The same as Steve Campbell. Here.
I got chemical engineering, Renaissance
thought, and calculus.
I will never sleep again.
So you want to tell me again why we're doing this?
I think we were talking about your next birthday or something
like that.
No, no, no, that wasn't it.
Well sure it was. Yeah.
No it wasn't, no it wasn't.
I think it was you saying that you couldn't see me as a power
forward.
ANTHONY MCCANN: No, I could, you know,
it's just it's not the first thing that pops into my mind,
you know?
College league champs, bro.
I was the meanest man in the key.
Oh, I believe you, sir.
Oh, you don't have to call me sir.
I'm not that much older than you are.
Yes, sir.
I'm sorry.
Yes.
Sorry, I was adjusting my shoelace.
You know, I always try them too tight.
These high tops, they make you do that, you know?
Whoa, he's got me on the ropes.
Damn straight.
Oh, whoa.
[grunting]
Pinned.
Ha.
Oh God, I got to go.
It's late.
I guess you must lift a lot over at the Academy gym, huh?
Nah.
No?
Got some deal on the yuppie gym, is that it?
I don't like gyms, you know?
Lifting's not my bag.
You don't lift?
No.
So how did you stay in shape?
I don't know.
Sports, I guess.
What sports?
I don't know.
You know, basketball, roller skates, darts.
You know anything to get me off my butt.
See you.
It's time for you to start calling me sir again, too.
ANTHONY MCCANN: Oh, yes sir.
DOUG PENHALL: I can't do this.
Nobody can do this.
Can't do what?
Oh, this 15 pages on the role the Medici family
hadn't on classical knowledge.
This is not easy.
I'll clear a spot for you here.
No, sorry.
I've got study group.
But the paper is due in 12 hours.
I'm done.
You're done?
You got to apply yourself.
That's what my dad always says.
Good advice.
I noticed by your books here that you are pre-law.
Yeah.
My dad's been saving for my law school
since the first day I decided on law.
Your dad a lawyer?
DAVE BURTON: No, he's a cop.
Courts got I'm so frustrated coming home at night,
I thought I could make a difference.
We kid around, say we're going to be
a two stop justice system.
Was Steve Campbell pre-law?
Yeah.
My dad and I told him he could join the firm.
Your two stop justice firm.
Something I don't get.
How does a pre-law student wind up robbing a store?
Police already asked me that.
I don't know.
I lay awake at night worrying, wondering.
Listen, I-I've got to go.
I'm already late for study group.
Later.
Hey, good luck on your paper.
I'm going to need it.
Medieval allegorical tradition continuing into the Renaissance
and culminating in the works of such writers
as Ariosto, Boiardo, and much later Edmund Spenser.
I believe the hour is over.
Now as you hand in your papers on the Medicis,
please pick up last week's essays.
Professor Gray?
Sir, I don't see my paper.
PROFESSOR GRAY: I'd like to talk to you for a few minutes
in my office, Mr. Burton.
Sir, is there something wrong with my paper?
Other than the fact that you didn't write it?
What?
It's brilliant, but I felt it betrayed
a certain onanistic quality.
That there was a dearth of verisimilitude compared
to your previous papers.
You know what I'm getting at?
Not exactly.
Onanistic, verisimilitude.
Those are words you used in your paper.
Could you use either one of them in a sentence right now?
Not off the top of my head.
You didn't write that paper.
I worked hard on that paper.
I've worked hard in this class.
Mr. Burton, I might show some leniency
if you'd admit to the truth.
I won't admit to something that I didn't do.
PROFESSOR GRAY: I've been a professor for 12 years,
and I know you're lying.
Professor, you prove it.
Does he know?
It was, you know, something, but he doesn't know it.
Burton.
You know Melinda?
Melinda Cross?
She's in my study group, yeah.
How'd you do on the paper?
Good.
Good?
How come the professor calls you in?
He just wanted to clarify.
Oh, I see.
So everything's OK?
Yeah, sure.
Overall he said it was brilliant.
Brilliant?
Congratulations!
I didn't know I had a roommate who was brilliant.
He's brilliant!
[music playing]
[phone ringing]
Hello.
Look, I told you I'd get it.
No, don't-- I'll get it.
I'll get it.
Ho, yo!
I thought we were going for pizza.
I'm not hungry.
Doug!
Great.
I got out of the shower early so I could
go watch him get some cash.
Let's see what he's going to do with it.
Give me that.
JOEY PENHALL: It's not even loaded, man.
Jeez.
DOUG PENHALL: Doesn't matter.
A cop sees that, he'll shoot to kill.
Let me go.
You're coming back to our dorm with us.
You're going to explain what this is all about.
What do you want, man?
You've already done one incredibly stupid thing
tonight.
Don't do another one.
Come on.
OK.
Why did you just tell us what happened?
You know how I wrote my paper so fast?
I bought it.
And you needed the money to pay for it?
No.
No, somebody found out I bought it,
and I'm paying him to shut up.
And that's what happened in your roommate, is that it?
Yeah.
I started getting these calls, you know.
Pay $500 or your professor will know.
I had until seven to tonight to get the money.
So the guy tells your professor, you flunk one class.
Big deal.
I won't just flunk.
I'll get kicked out.
You get into another school.
DAVE BURTON: Right.
They call here and find out why I was kicked out?
No law school, no admission.
My whole life is down the drain.
I don't even want to think about my old man.
DOUG PENHALL: Take it easy.
Let's just start with, where did you get the paper?
My roommate told me about this place.
They sell everything.
Term papers, science projects.
It's called Chadway Academic Research.
[ding]
Yes?
I didn't see you there.
I heard this is where you can get--
that you have--
I need a [WHISPERING] paper.
I can barely hear you.
DOUG PENHALL: Well, it's that I'm in this Renaissance thought
class, and every time I go to sit down to write,
my mind goes blank.
Somehow I believe you.
What's the topic?
It's-- it's--
it's, uh-- oh, here it is.
15 to 20 pages on the role of the Medici family.
Medici.
Had on the preservation of classical knowledge
and thought.
Let me see what we've got.
[typing]
PAXTON: Nope.
No.
Well, here's one.
The founding of the Medici library, the birth and rebirth
of the ancients.
Got an A. Interested?
How do I know you didn't sell it to everybody in my class?
It's on the computer.
You want me to double check?
Well, yeah, if you could.
Got an A at the University of Ohio in 1989
for a history of Western thought class.
It's never been used here.
Any problem with that?
It got an A?
No, that's great.
Do you have anything a little less good?
I mean I'm only doing like a 2.0.
Maybe like a low B, high C?
Because I mean, if all the sudden I ace this thing,
my professor, he'll get kind of suspicious.
You're not as dumb as you look.
Thanks.
I mean, thanks.
Here's my credit card receipt.
You know they just sold me this paper,
let me put it on my card?
OK, it's clean.
Let's make the bust.
CAPTAIN FULLER: Time out, guys.
You cannot bust a company for selling term papers.
What?
They're doing it in broad daylight, middle of town.
Yeah.
That's because what they're doing is legal.
Wait a minute, how can that be legal?
CAPTAIN FULLER: Term papers are kind of like books.
An author can sell whatever he's written to anyone he wants to.
And that company can resell them.
Are you telling us we don't have a case?
The only thing that's illegal is
a student putting their names on these papers and turn them in.
Called plagiarism.
You wanted us to find out what kind of trouble
Steve Campbell was in.
We think this is it.
What's it?
Someone was blackmailing him.
Somebody is blackmailing Burton right now.
Blackmailing is illegal still, isn't it captain?
Last I looked.
DOUG PENHALL: Well so, who's going to write a term paper,
get us in tight with this company?
Guys, I'm sorry I'm late.
There was so much traffic you wouldn't--
I wonder if you'd be interested in buying my paper.
Another hard working young scholar sharing her good grades
with the less fortunate.
Something like that.
It's on the--
I don't care what it's on, any more than the students who
buy it care.
What did it get?
It got an A.
We want it.
Hey, Cooper.
Yo, Mr. Paxton.
I need a copy of this.
No problem.
Coming right up.
I heard you could make more money writing papers on order.
You do custom work?
We can always use statistics.
Great, because they overcharged
my credit card last month.
I have a request for statistics 305,
construct a multi variable contingency table using
analysis of variant technique.
Usual stuff.
Right.
Here you go.
Ah, Mr. Pax, we've got a problem with the computer again.
One second.
You find anything?
They don't keep names, but I did find
a list of credit card numbers.
Link any with students buying papers?
Going to try.
Try what?
I'm going to try junior college again.
I am so glad I got out of the teaching business.
ANTHONY MCCANN: What, you used to teach Mr. Pax?
I used to spoon feed information to students.
Now I sell it outright.
Hear your copy machine going.
Yo, right.
Yo.
Later.
I'm going to ask you one more time.
Did you write this paper?
I'll tell you one more time.
Yes.
This is your original work.
Yes.
I received this last night.
It was left outside my front door.
It's identical to yours, but it's
by a Doris Pusner, June 17, 1987, University of California.
I called the professor, she remembered the paper.
Professor Gray.
See, I need this class to keep up my GPA if I'm
going to get into law school.
You should have taken bicycle maintenance.
I'll take the class over again.
Totally straight.
I gave you that opportunity two days ago.
Please, sir.
Don't kick me out.
I've already talked to the dean.
Your case will be heard before a full session
of the academic Standards Commission on Friday.
Hey.
Good morning, everybody.
Ah, Mac, Mac, Mac.
Those credit card numbers you gave me?
Yeah.
List of names came in from downtown.
Now odds are a few of those people
are victims of our blackmailer.
Why don't you get to know one of them, huh?
OK.
Melinda Cross, Ron Calum--
Let me see that.
Bill Daily.
Let me see that.
Melinda Cross.
I met her.
She's smart.
She doesn't seem like the type to be cheating.
Yeah, none of those kids are the type to cheat.
I mean they're not dumb.
They just do that to stay at the top of the grade curve.
What you doing, Mac?
ANTHONY MCCANN: Making a phone call.
Yes, registrar's office?
Yes, I'd like to get a class schedule please of a student
by the name of Melinda Cross.
Does anybody know a Melinda Cross?
Melinda Cross, anybody?
Hello, does anybody know a Melinda Cross?
Melinda Cross, anybody know a Melinda Cross here?
I'm Melina Cross.
Melinda Cross, with the 3.91 overall?
Yes.
Hi, I'm Tony Cooper, and I'm thinking
about going back to school again,
and I could really use a tutor.
I saw your name on the dean's list.
No, I don't think I like this.
Look, I study hard, and I take direction pretty well.
No, I mean that you're following me.
I'm not comfortable with it.
I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to follow you.
Well, if you don't stop moving I'm going
to be following you again.
Look, OK.
I should have found a way to get an introduction
but I don't know anybody you know,
I and I need some major help with the books.
I figured, well, if you met me I could talk you into saying yes,
even though I can see you I'm talking you into saying no.
But maybe I'll just get smarter by osmosis.
Unless of course you walk away again, in which case osmosis
would be impossible.
Do you always talk this fast?
Only when I'm desperate.
Look, I could really use five hours a week,
and I'll pay whatever you charge.
Well, I could really use the money.
Well then, we've got a deal.
OK?
OK.
How's Friday night?
I can't.
I've got the student court case.
That's OK.
We'll meet after.
Is your place OK.
My place?
Yeah.
I'm sure I don't have to tell you where that is.
That's true, I kind of already do know.
MELINDA CROSS: Osmosis?
Osmosis, yeah.
What did you pack for?
Your is not for a few days.
I know what's going to happen.
I just want to be ready when they say it.
Well, who all is going to be at this court thing.
Faculty and students.
Well, you just can't lay down and play dead just because you
showed a little lousy judgment.
You got to fight this thing.
Pretend like it's your first case.
Where you going?
To work on my defense.
[phone ringing]
Hello.
BLACKMAILER [ON PHONE]: [WHISPERING]
I know you bought a term paper.
It'll cost you $500 to keep Professor Gray from knowing,
too.
Yeah, I'm listening.
BLACKMAILER [ON PHONE]: [WHISPERING]
In a bag at the south quad, noon tomorrow.
Drop it and go.
Our mysterious caller.
Do you recognize the voice?
No.
We'll find out who it is soon enough.
$100, $200, $300, $400, $500, guys.
Mac and I will be at Chadway research
to tell whoever leaves to pick up the money.
We're covering the drop.
Why do you have to double up?
Two reasons.
One, so he doesn't get away.
Two, so the DA doesn't turn him loose.
Blackmail is very hard to prove.
Let's do this.
This better be an A.
Going to be a bestseller.
I'm off to lunch.
Ditto.
I have a reservation at noon sharp.
Later.
Watch the store, Tony.
Will do, boss.
Meet me outside.
Melinda.
Hi.
You work here?
Well yeah.
Didn't I mention that?
Uh, yeah, I do some copying here,
and I move some boxes and stuff like that.
Oh.
I got-- I gotta go.
I got something to do.
But-- so I'll see you tomorrow, after the hearing.
- OK. - OK.
- Yeah. - OK.
Couldn't shake her.
I didn't know which one to follow.
I don't see Hoffs.
I don't see McCann.
Hey.
What?
Look.
Think it's the guy with the dog?
No.
You notice a guy with a dog.
You notice a girl with a dog.
With a guy, you notice the dog.
What kind of dog you think that is?
- Hey. - What?
Look.
It's the bald guy.
Too obvious.
Maybe if he had had a hat or something.
On your mark.
Get set.
Oh no!
Got you, you scum.
My roommate got killed trying to get your dirty money.
Get off him, Burton.
Take it easy.
JOEY PENHALL: Police officers.
DAVE BURTON: What?
DOUG PENHALL: Yeah, that's right, big surprise.
You better be a lawyer, all the trouble you get into.
You two are coming with us. You got him?
Yeah, I got him.
DOUG PENHALL: By time you get out of jail
you'll have grown all your hair back.
You cut the bald guy loose.
How come?
He picked up the money.
Hey, this guy, was an our drunk tank last night.
He did not make any phone calls.
He just stumbled into our sting.
Hoffs and McCann never show up?
No, they didn't.
That's my next phone call, and this better be good.
DAVE BURTON: Listen, I'm sorry I screwed up your drop.
When I think about the guy that drove Steve to do what he did--
I wish I could get my hands on him.
That's our job.
Listen, would you guys come to my hearing tomorrow?
Yeah, but be cool about us, because the case isn't over
yet.
I just want you to get the guy.
DOUG PENHALL: Burton.
About tomorrow.
Good luck.
JUDY HOFFS: It was my fault.
No, I was mine.
I couldn't shake Melinda.
Still, I should have followed one of the cars.
I would have followed Austin.
Austin?
No, no, Paxton.
Paxton, he had more motive.
ANTHONY MCCANN: What motive?
He's a paper clerk happy with his coffee breaks.
JUDY HOFFS: He's a professor.
Sour grapes and all that stuff.
Then why didn't you follow him?
Because I thought maybe you might,
then I would follow Austin.
Which is why neither of us followed either of them.
Basically.
Kind of.
In a nutshell.
Did you tell her I was old?
Sir?
Did you tell her that you beat me at arm wrestling so
like maybe I'm losing it in every other department,
and therefore will be easily confused.
No.
Oh.
Mac didn't mention anything about arm wrestling, sir.
I'm looking for my support, OK?
And you two are supposed to be out arresting the bad guys,
or at least trailing the bad guys.
So get your young selves up, get your butts out of here, go
do your jobs, and do not come back in here with any story
remotely like the one you just told me.
OK?
Yes sir.
Yes.
I'd like to point out that we are not a court of law,
but an administrative arm of the university.
And as such we'll decide based on what we hear today
if David Burton did plagiarize, and if so to what extent
he should be penalized.
I have submitted two term papers.
One David Burton handed in from my class--
There's no reason for the professor to make a case.
I did it.
Dave Burton has admitted his indiscretion
and publicly apologized.
It's obvious he's suffering, and it's
worth noting that his crime has hurt no one but himself.
He has hurt every student who toiled long and hard
to hand in their own work.
OK, but should his life be ruined because of that?
He'll never get into another college,
and certainly no law school.
I move that we give him another chance.
DEAN: David Burton.
In accordance with university policy, as of this date
you are hereby expelled.
Your official transcripts will be stamped with the words,
registration terminated due to an academic indiscretion.
Are you OK?
It just doesn't seem fair.
You want to talk about it?
No.
I, uh, I just want to be alone.
That was a tough break.
Steve got the tough break.
I can still pick up the pieces.
I'm still alive, until my dad gets a hold of me.
You need a lift?
No, I want to go over to Steve's folks place first.
I want to tell them what really happened to their son.
Why don't you bring your father?
How come.
Well, it's just a hunch, but I have a feeling it'll make it
easier for everybody involved.
OK.
Thanks.
Mr. Hirsch.
I need to see you in my office.
I'm sure you know why.
Did to somebody give you a paper
that looked just like mine?
Yeah.
Name's not Hirsch.
It's officer Penhall.
Somebody has been blackmailing these kids.
I'm being used in a--
Did you happen to recognize the voice on the phone?
Anything you can tell me?
It's a whisper.
For all I know it could be a woman.
They're smart.
I'd appreciate it if you let me know, you hear anything else.
I'll do that.
Hi.
I should've known it'd be you.
Today is Friday, isn't it?
Is there something wrong?
I hope you don't think I'm going to enjoy this.
Melinda--
Now what?
Isn't this what you wanted?
Melinda, when I asked you to tutor me, I meant books.
Oh my God.
You're not him, are you?
Melinda, I'm a cop.
Officer Tony McCann.
And I thought Dave Burton was in trouble.
I take it you brought a term paper?
Look, I--
I have two part time jobs, plus I carry 18 hours.
I just couldn't handle it.
So I bought my paper for Psych 401.
OK, when did the blackmailer call you?
About a week ago.
He-- look, I just don't have the money.
So he offered you an alternative instead, right?
Yeah, he just called.
He said he's on his way over.
I thought you were him.
OK.
[dialing]
[phone ringing]
Fuller.
Captain, this is Mac.
I'm at 506 University Place, apartment 14.
Look.
Our guy is coming over in person to collect, so--
Listen, it's going to take a few minutes
to reach the others.
You want some black and whites in the meantime?
No, they'll just scare him off.
CAPTAIN FULLER [ON PHONE]: You know,
this doesn't fit this guy's MO.
I mean I don't understand this at all.
I do.
Later.
[knocking]
Just a minute.
That's right.
Gary Austin, your friendly store manager.
Hope you don't mind if I tell you I'm
glad you don't have the money.
Nice place.
So, selling papers wasn't enough, huh, Austin?
It's never enough.
Let's go.
Let me know how you like punching license plates.
DOUG PENHALL: You OK?
Yeah.
Give us a lift to the station, huh?
Hey, for this guy?
The short cut.
JOEY PENHALL: You scum.
Blackmailing out of your own company.
You're dumber than you look.
Hey.
So, how'd it go?
Well, I have to take the course over
again for no credit.
There won't anything on my record except for [inaudible]..
Well, that's great.
So turning yourself in was the right thing to do, huh?
Yeah.
Well, it would have been anyway.
Thanks, Mac.
You know, you're welcome.
Osmosis.
[ding]
More pearls of wisdom?
I came to buy my paper back.
Great.
I'm the new boss, and I lose my best supply.
There's got to be a better way to make money than this.
I'll delete your paper.
[typing]
Are you sure?
That was simple.
Nothing's that simple.
JUDY HOFFS: Mr. Paxton, and you said you used
to spoon feed your classes.
Something tells me you're trying to save the world
from your professors podium.
So?
So you come down to this?
Pushing plagiarism?
You're not actually trying to get me to quit, are you?
No.
No, I was just trying to get you go out for a cup of coffee
with me and talk about it.
What are you, a cop?
Yeah.
This is legal.
But is it right?
You're still trying to save the world.
OK.
All right, I'm out of here.
But listen, tell me this.
When was the last night you slept all the way through?
Wait.
Coffee sounds good.
I'll buy.
[music playing]
[theme music]