Perception s01e08 Episode Script
Kilimanjaro
How bad do you want it? Whether "it" be a 4.
0 GPA, a million bucks.
.
Or just getting laid.
Ambition drives us all.
.
What William James called "the worship of the bitch Goddess success".
Now, Freud would have us believe that all drives stem from the libido.
Sorry, Sigmund.
Success is neurologically determined by one's ability to stay focused on a task, and persistence is a function of an active Limbic System.
Take, for instance, gridiron guy here.
Clearly, his Limbic System isn't firing on all cylinders.
Either that, or his ambition to win The Heisman supersedes his desire.
.
To pass this class! - Sorry.
- Morning, sunshine.
Speaking of passing this class, please pass your Midterm papers to Mr.
Lewicki here.
His ambition is to read them all.
.
Tonight.
I don't think any of them even remembered to spell-check.
Persistence, Lewicki.
Once in a while, a student surprises you.
Actually, Brian Cahill did.
I don't know who that is.
"Gridiron guy"? Ah.
Sleeping beauty.
Maybe your lecture wasn't interesting enough to keep him awake, but his paper's actually pretty good.
Too good.
His paper is obviously plagiarized.
There's no way that kid wrote this.
I'm not so sure.
Cahill's been getting pretty good grades.
Clearly from teachers who turn a blind eye to the shortcomings of a "student-athlete".
There's an oxymoron if I've ever heard one.
Well, I'm not dazzled by his athletic prowess.
We have an honor system here.
He should be out.
You're getting ahead of yourself, Daniel.
Now, first of all, there's no proof that he cheated.
And let me guess.
.
Second of all, he's a football star.
I'm not gonna deny having an all-American is good for recruiting.
Not to mention the bottom line.
Look, have you any idea how much we earn in broadcast fees alone? It's not like my department sees any of that.
No, but you don't have to explain to the board of trustees why you expelled a star linebacker and screwed up a shot at a bowl berth.
- Dean Haley.
- Great.
Great.
So, w.
.
We jettison our academic standards for filthy lucre.
What's next, automatic GPA inflation every time some yahoo scores a touchdown? Hang on.
I'm gonna have to deal with this later, something's come up.
What's more important than a campus cheating scandal? A campus murder.
Dinner was amazing.
I got the recipe from an ancient Berber woman in Marrakech.
Of course, to be truly authentic, I should have made it with pigeon, but the butcher at Whole Foods was appalled when I asked for it, so we had to settle for chicken.
Well, it was absolutely delicious.
Thank you.
I pull my own Warka.
The dough.
Of course.
Aah.
Excuse me.
Hello? I'll be right over.
I have to go.
I'm s.
.
It's Daniel.
Of course it is.
You look lovely.
I'm sorry if we ruined a special evening.
Oh, no.
Not at all.
The multi-talented Professor Hathaway? I understand you two might be quite an item.
W.
.
Why don't you tell me, uh, more about the murder? Well, campus security discovered a body in Brooks Hall.
A Junior, Christina Lake.
Okay.
Do they have a cause of death? A broken neck.
Ooh.
That's awful.
But I'm.
.
I'm sorry.
I'm just, I'm still a little confused as to why I'm here.
I mean, Chicago P.
D.
will catch this case.
Well, they did.
But I wanted to send a message to the parents and alumni that we're doing everything we can to keep the campus safe.
So I made a request that the FBI investigate.
Well, not to beat a dead cliché, but this is not exactly a federal case.
I mean, it's not terrorism or a school shooting.
So I'll talk to the investigating officer, but he might not like me butting in.
Also, my boss might have an issue with it, but, um.
.
Excuse me.
Wow.
Speak of the devil.
Moretti.
Yes.
I'm on it.
You called Reardon? I just.
.
Wanted to remind her the.
.
How many cases I've helped the Bureau close.
And it would be a shame if I got so busy that I couldn't keep.
.
Helping.
I don't know whether to be shocked or impressed.
We should start at Brooks Hall, talk to Christina's friends.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
This is not your case.
There's no "we".
There's no Neurological or behavioral angle here.
What? Sorry.
One of my students hasn't been showing up to class.
I assumed he was sick, but clearly he's well enough for a night out.
Well, why don't you go deal with him? That is your job.
After all, you're a Professor, not a cop.
Nice try, Agent Moretti.
This murder happened in my backyard.
You're not kicking me to the curb.
Shall we? My room is right beneath Christina's, so I can hear everything that goes on upstairs.
Hmm.
Did you hear anything tonight? She was cranking her tunes at full volume.
I had been cramming for my MCATs for three days, and it was nonstop.
Was Christina having problems with anyone? No way.
She had tons of friends.
I mean, you know the type.
.
All the girls want to be her, all the guys want to be with her.
Was Christina dating anyone? She just broke up with Billy Mitchell.
I have no idea why.
He's so freaking hot.
So, whose idea was the breakup? Well, Christina dumped him.
.
And Billy was not happy.
They'd been arguing about it all week.
You could hear the yelling all over the dorm.
Were they fighting tonight? All I could hear was the music.
But I.
.
I did pass Billy in the hall.
Does Billy live in the dorm? No, in Farnsworth, but I just saw him at the vigil on the quad.
That's Billy.
Billy Mitchell? FBI.
Billy Mitchell, you're under arrest.
Look, you're crazy if you believe that I'd hurt Christina.
She's been my girlfriend since freshman year in high school.
Yeah, well, from what I've heard, there was trouble in paradise.
What were you kids fighting about? I told her I was gonna transfer to M.
I.
T.
Because they have a better chemistry program.
She freaked out.
She begged me not to leave Chicago.
So two weeks after I promised I'd stay, she dumps me.
Why? Because that piece of euro trash messed with her head.
Which piece of euro trash are we talking about here? This guy Karl.
Some Prussian Prince or something.
Thinks, like, a title makes him better than the rest of us.
This guy is a jerk.
Goes through women like Kleenex in flu season.
Guy stole your girl.
That's got to be rough.
No, no.
This guy's bad news.
I Googled him, found out all sorts of dirt.
That's why I went to see Christina, to tell her not to get mixed up with the guy.
And then when she didn't listen, you got angry.
Yes, but.
.
But I didn't kill her.
She was alive when I left.
Anybody see you go? Yeah.
Karl.
Told me to leave Christina alone.
I heard him yelling at her when I left.
You know, maybe that creep killed her.
Yeah, my money's still on you.
I didn't do this.
Then why'd you run? Because I had a joint in my pocket.
I was afraid you were gonna bust me, so I flushed it.
You should be talking to Karl.
"Prince Karl of Hesse-Brandenberg".
"Third son of a minor German noble family".
So no power left, just titles and castles.
According to "Lifestyles of the rich and infamous".
.
Karl is quite the problem child.
Looks like he's been expelled from two boarding schools in England.
.
Accused of slapping a model in a discotheque in Monte Carlo.
.
Accused of the rape of a hotel maid in Ibiza, but no charges were ever filed.
I'll bet a very fat check goes a long way to convincing a victim not to prosecute.
The Agent I sent to Karl's condo called in.
Doorman says he left last night for the airport.
I'll call TSA, have them check airline manifests.
You think the playboy of the Western World flies commercial? He's got a private plane.
Well, he must have filed a flight plan.
To St.
Louis.
It never got there.
Reach out to Homeland, State, Interpol.
Maybe somebody knows where this plane really went.
Hmm.
Hey.
Smart guy.
We need to talk.
Yeah, I'm.
.
Kind of busy.
That's okay.
I've got to get some sleep.
I'll catch up with you later.
What the hell are you doing? - Excuse me? - You don't come to class, you don't hand in your paper, it's 7:00 A.
M.
, you.
.
Have you been up partying all night? Since when is my social life your business? You're one of the brightest students at this university, and I can't remember the last time I saw you at one of my lectures.
You're blowing your chances at med school.
Who says I want to go to med school? You're changing your major? Man.
.
It's not all about majors and cramming for midterms.
I've got a band, a girlfriend.
.
And you'll have plenty of time for all of that once you flunk out.
- Look, I'm working on the paper.
- Work faster.
I'm giving you till the end of the day tomorrow to turn in that paper, or I'm failing you.
Now get your ass to class.
Mister Lewicki here tells me that you've been falling asleep in section all week.
- Are we boring you? - No, Sir.
There's no need to deny it.
I'm sure a student of your perspicacity must be unchallenged by intro to neuropsych.
Y.
.
Your Midterm paper displays a brilliant grasp of the subject.
I'd love to hear more about your alternative view of the mind-body link.
You remember.
.
Page 12? You didn't write this, did you? No, Sir.
I bought it.
Who from? Rumor is he's a grad student, but I don't know the dude's name.
Then how'd you get the paper? A guy on the team gave me an e-mail address.
I sent the assignment and And a couple days later, the essay showed up in my e-mail.
I.
.
I'm sorry.
I've.
.
I've never cheated before.
Oh, come on.
I've seen your grades.
You've been getting a free pass around here.
But not this time, not from me.
I swear, I used to be a good student.
I just.
.
I can't concentrate any more.
How long have you been feeling like that? I don't know.
Pretty much all semester.
Look me straight in the eye.
You see this? See the disparity in pupil size? It's Anischoria.
What is that? What are you talking about? Have you been having trouble breathing? A little.
Headaches? Yeah.
How did.
.
How'd you know? How long have you been playing football? I mean, I started pee-wee at 8, full contact when I was 9.
Have you been hit harder than usual lately? I mean, I ended up at the bottom of a dog pile a couple months ago, and my helmet flew off.
I mean, back of my head got stomped pretty hard.
Well, as I suspected, you have a subdural hematoma.
A brain bleed.
Am I gonna miss the game on Saturday? Yeah.
And every one after that.
I'm out for the season? You're not getting it.
You can't play football ever again.
If I don't play, I'll lose my scholarship.
It's either that, or risk permanent brain damage.
Your choice.
I found Karl.
.
In Cabo San Lucas.
And they say there's no such thing as inter-agency cooperation.
I'm glad State came through.
They didn't.
Then who located him? Homeland? Interpol? TMZ.
I need you to sign off on a travel voucher so I can go down and pick him up.
We're on an austerity budget.
Let the Mexican police pick him up.
Listen, the Federales aren't exactly known for their.
.
Integrity.
The money gets into the right hands, Karl's off to a country where we can't extradite him.
So, where to, chicas? The beach.
.
Or the pool? Adult swim's over, Karl.
Pardon me, ladies.
He's coming with me.
You'll never get away with treating me like this! If I get a slap on the wrist, it's worth it, because I know that you murdered Christina.
I didn't kill her! Oh, yeah? Tell me all about it.
I'm not a moron.
I'm not saying anything else without my lawyer.
Then I guess my job here is done.
Oh.
Look at that.
Right in time for the 4:00 flight.
Hmm.
Okay.
Enjoy your stay.
But, you know, I could take you with me.
If you just sign this little waiver of extradition, we could be on our way to the airport.
You could call your lawyer from the plane.
Dr.
Pierce.
I finished the essay with a couple hours to spare.
I'm surprised you put so much time into it.
Hey, it's done, so save the lecture.
Stay.
I'll read it now.
Is this a joke? Hey, I busted my ass on that paper.
This isn't your work.
Yesterday you told me that I was one of the smartest students here, so you know I don't need to cheat.
I wrote this.
when I was an undergrad.
Did you think I wouldn't recognize my own words, or are you just trying to be cute? I'm telling you I wrote it.
You've just destroyed your academic future.
Fine.
You think I want to sit in a dusty, old office all day, like you? No freaking way.
Your life is sad and pathetic.
.
Old man.
Who the hell do you think you are? Oh, I'm.
.
I'm sorry.
Did.
.
Did you forget my name? It's D.
J.
Short for Daniel J.
Pierce.
I'm you.
Before you cracked up and forgot how to have a life.
Hey, Doc, we're late.
Are you okay? How could I not recognize myself? I didn't make the connection until he told me his name.
You don't remember any of your students' names.
It's always "gridiron guy," "goth girl".
Why do you do that? Oh, come on, Daniel.
It's psych 101.
It's a defense mechanism.
You keep your students at arm's length because you don't want to remember what it was like to be their age.
That's bullshit.
Is it? What were you like at 19? Insufferably cocky.
I thought I was smarter than most of my teachers, didn't care much about my education because it all came so easily.
And what did you want to do with your life? Travel the world.
Climb Kilimanjaro.
Tour with my band.
You wanted to go to med school.
No.
That was just a fallback, in case I didn't make the cover Rolling Stone by the time I was 25.
Yet for all that ambition and such an active Limbic System, none of that ever happened.
Yeah.
A little thing called paranoid schizophrenia kind of got in the way.
So you got diagnosed, and your dreams died.
No wonder you didn't recognize D.
J.
You wanted to forget everything that you'd lost when you got sick.
Gee, thank you for making me feel like a complete failure.
- You're missing the point.
- Please, skewer me with it.
Look at what you've accomplished in spite of your diagnosis.
Top of your class in med school, you've written seven books, won the Davenport Prize.
Compared to where you could have ended up, you've truly climbed Kilimanjaro.
So I repressed my tragic past rather than confront my shortcomings.
How very freudian of me.
Tell me, frau doktor, in your hallucinatory opinion, why am I being haunted by the ghost of Christmas past now? Because your unresolved issues are keeping you from dealing with your students.
- I deal with my students every day.
- You lecture them.
But emotionally, you're totally disengaged.
- I'm a Professor, not a wet nurse.
- Now, what about Brian Cahill? He had his future taken away because of a brain injury.
You of all people should be able to relate to that.
But, no, you just made the diagnosis and walked away.
Hey, I saved that kid's life.
But was the life you saved the one he wanted? You asked to see me? I just.
.
Wanted to apologize.
What for? I was a little perfunctory about your diagnosis.
I.
.
I should have done more to help you acclimate to your condition.
Have you spoken to your parents? I.
.
I could call them.
Ah, no.
It's okay.
I told Dean Haley that your injury was sustained on the field, so your scholarship won't be revoked.
You don't have to play to stay in school.
Um, here's a referral to a therapist who specializes in Neurological issues.
Talking helps.
And don't worry about the paper you bought.
We'll, uh.
.
We'll let that slide.
Thanks, Dr.
Pierce.
I really appreciate it.
Hey, Doc.
- Oh.
Hey, Brian.
- Hey.
- Oh, right.
- Sorry to interrupt, but, um, Kate called.
She's back from Mexico.
Karl did not kill Christina.
Witnesses place him in her dorm room right before her death.
She was alive when I took off.
Yeah, but you were arguing.
I wanted her to come with me to a party in Mexico, but she thought a Midterm in sociology was more important.
So I left.
Yeah, and you took some of her DNA with you.
We searched your apartment, and we found smears of Christina's blood all over your floor.
You must have tracked it in on your shoes.
Give us a moment, would you? Attagirl.
Thank you.
Last week, Christina was over at my place, and she had a nosebleed.
Why? Because you backhanded her? I don't like your attitude, Agent Moretti.
My client has nothing more to say.
That's fine.
I've got enough to hold him.
Yeah, just one small problem, though.
Karl has an alibi.
I just got a text from my investigator.
He's bringing a witness down now who can prove Karl had nothing to do with this.
I was heading back from the library, and I ran into Karl outside the dorm.
So you two know each other.
Well, he's kind of hard to miss.
He.
.
He drives a Ferrari.
Okay.
Did you talk to him? He looked upset, so I asked him if he was okay, and.
.
He said he just had this big fight with his girlfriend.
Did he say anything else? No.
He just got in his car and drove off.
So now you know he didn't do it, right? No.
I'm sorry, Shannon.
Your story does not prove that Karl's innocent.
I mean, for all we know, he could have looked upset because he had just murdered Christina.
No way.
She was still alive.
How do you know that? I saw her yelling out the window at him as he drove off.
I saw her, so Karl couldn't have killed her.
I just don't buy it.
Shannon pops up out of nowhere with an alibi that Karl forgot to mention in Mexico? So, what's your theory? The first time the lawyer mentioned a witness was right after he got a text, so I think he had his investigator go out and find somebody who was willing to lie for money.
I mean, it's the Hesse-brandenburg M.
O.
Spread a little cash around, make the charges go away.
Break the alibi, Agent Moretti, or your boy's gonna walk.
Okay.
If you've got one of your brilliant Daniel Pierce ideas, I'm all ears.
Search her room.
My guess.
.
You're gonna find an envelope full of cash.
But I.
.
I don't have grounds for a warrant.
I mean, without one, I can't so much as open her door.
Dr.
Pierce! - How can I help you? - Oh, sorry.
I thought this was Shannon Duquesne's room.
I'm her roommate.
Ah.
Well, um.
.
I lent Shannon a book.
I didn't know she was in your class.
She isn't, but, uh, she expressed interest in taking it next term, and I suggested she do some reading first, but I need the book for a lecture.
Oh, well, that's Shannon's desk over there.
I'd offer to help, but I'm late for study group.
- Midterm tomorrow.
- I think I can manage.
- All right.
- Won't be a minute.
This is nuts.
You're kidding me.
You're obsessed with Karl.
I don't know what you're talking about.
"My Prince Charming"? Your scrapbook? That.
.
That is private.
You had no right.
.
You lost the right to privacy when you decided to lie to the FBI.
Now tell us the truth about what happened the night of the murder.
Shannon, you're absolutely right.
I had no business looking at your private things.
But it did make me realize how deeply you care about Karl.
You've obviously felt that way for a long time.
Do you remember h.
.
How it started? Well, when I was 12, I saw a picture of him playing polo in people magazine.
He was.
.
All in white, on this gorgeous horse, and.
.
I just.
.
I knew he was my destiny.
So you came here to go to school, to be near him.
Well, I was never gonna meet Karl back home in Pittsburgh, so.
.
I signed up for the same classes, and I gave him my notes a couple of times.
He didn't really notice me.
Um, so I.
.
I went to this party.
.
And he was there, and finally.
.
It happened.
You mean you slept with him.
It was the best night of my life.
But then.
.
Then he started dating Christina Lake.
I tried to tell him how much I love him, but he said he only slept with me because he was drunk.
I begged him to give me a chance.
I told him that I would do anything for him.
And then when Karl got arrested, he remembered what you'd said and told his lawyer.
The investigator said that Karl was in trouble.
That it would really help him if I remembered seeing him drive away.
Do you know how much trouble you're in for lying to the FBI? It's worth it.
Now Karl will realize how much I love him.
Karl's back on the hook for the murder.
He's not the only one.
- You think Shannon could have done it? - You heard her.
She idolizes Karl.
And he only has eyes for Christina.
So you think Shannon could have killed Christina to get her out of the way.
Mm-hmm.
From no suspects to a twofer.
- You just made my day.
- Good.
And because they conspired to lie about Karl's alibi, I've got enough to hold both of them while I figure out who the killer is.
Moretti.
Wait.
Wait.
Hey.
Hold on.
It's Max.
Yeah.
Lewicki? What? Okay.
Bad news? One of my students got injured playing football.
Try moving your toes.
You're lucky.
After the craniotomy, the paralysis disappeared.
What the hell were you thinking? I told you I fixed your scholarship.
You didn't have to play.
- You don't understand.
- Why would you take a risk like this? Since I was a little kid, football's been my life.
If I wasn't playing, I was training.
I never wanted to do.
.
Anything else.
So what the hell am I.
.
If I'm not a football player? You told Shannon to lie.
I haven't told anybody anything.
Yeah, but you talked to your attorney.
And everything we discussed is privileged.
Not if it constitutes a crime.
And manipulating an obviously disturbed young woman into lying to Federal Agents certainly qualifies.
.
It's obstruction of justice and witness tampering.
We've answered all of your questions, some of them twice.
So either charge my client, or let him go.
You're free to leave.
Nice knowing you.
Not my call.
U.
S.
Attorney's office declined to file charges.
- I don't believe this.
- I don't like it any more than you do.
But State's getting pressure from the German Ambassador.
They're afraid it might lead to a diplomatic incident.
- What happens to Shannon? - I had to let her go, too.
She lied to a Federal Agent.
That's a crime.
Yeah, but the A.
U.
S.
A.
doesn't want to prosecute a lovesick girl for protecting a boy who may very well be innocent himself.
Karl's not innocent.
He's just rich enough to afford immunity.
- Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! - What? .
.
The U.
N.
summit on Africa last month, and I'll tell you what I told him.
.
That without a paradigm shift, we will never end the famines, no matter how many T-shirts we sell.
Why are you hiding from Professor wonderful? He's such a nice guy.
And he's funny.
.
And he's.
.
Smart, and he cooks.
I mean, he's perfect, but I just.
.
I keep pushing him away, and I don't know why.
I do.
Because she's into you.
I mean, I just don't know, really, - how to handle it, you know? - Listen, tell her to dump him.
- I care, obviously, but I just don't.
.
- Then you can make your move.
Daniel.
Look at me, how long are you gonna let this go on for? I can't seem to make up my mind is what I'm trying to say.
- I'm sorry I'm rambling.
- She clearly wants you.
She doesn't want Hathaway.
Stop! - Sorry.
- No.
- Oh, so sorry.
I wasn't trying to.
.
- I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable.
You didn't.
I.
.
I.
.
I just meant you should.
You should stop talking to me.
.
And you should tell Hathaway how you.
.
How you feel.
I.
.
I got to go.
Doc, there you are.
I was looking for you.
Why? What are you so chipper about? Well, I got to wondering about the whole paper-selling business.
Cahill said it was a grad student, so I took a little initiative.
Oh, you're playing Junior Detective now? I e-mailed the paper writer, and I told him I needed a paper analyzing Viznevsky's Neurological Anatomy of Psychopathology.
That's a terrible idea.
Nobody would ever do a paper on Viznevsky.
His thinking is totally outdated.
I'm surprised the book's even in print.
It's not.
It's not even online.
That's the genius of it.
You knew he'd have to go to the library to get it.
- Lewicki, you sly dog.
- He walked right into my little trap.
The dude's a PHD student in English Lit.
His name's Andre Lustig.
I've been working on my PHD for six years.
I'm $70,000 in debt.
I have no idea how I'm gonna pay that back.
My specialization is in Late Medieval poetry.
Give me a list of every student you wrote a paper for, and I'll allow you to withdraw from CLMU.
But no other school will take me.
I'll never finish my doctorate.
Your M.
A.
might allow you to get a job at a prep school.
Now, I want a list of those customers.
I don't remember their names.
I've had like 100 clients this semester.
How is that possible? I churn out a couple papers a day.
Bullshit.
I was a great student before I turned into you, and even I couldn't write two papers a day.
The paper you wrote for Brian Cahill was good.
It's hard to believe you wrote that in a day.
I don't sleep very much.
What do you take, Andre? Cocaine? Speed? Just a study aid.
Helps keeps me awake and my brain razor-sharp.
What kind of "study aid"? It's just some pill some brainiac kid in the Chem Department makes.
Our Chem Department might not be as good as M.
I.
T.
's, but it turns out some high-end product.
All right.
Who's the dealer, Andre? I don't know his name.
I do.
What's cooking, Billy? Wouldn't be a batch of methamphetamine, would it? - What's going on? - You claimed that you ran from me to flush some marijuana.
And then I remembered, you're a chemistry major.
Yeah? So? What's that got to do with anything? We all know about your little sideline.
Your magic pills are what went down the drain in that bathroom, am I right? It's just a study aid.
The pills aren't even illegal.
Then why'd you run? Trust me, Billy.
You don't want to screw with me twice.
Because I stole the pills.
From who? Professor Emmett.
They're from an experiment she's been working on.
The drug was a major breakthrough.
The rats could run the maze for 36 hours straight, and their problem-solving abilities skyrocketed.
Are you in FDA trials? It wasn't for the open market.
My funding came from the Defense Department.
They wanted a pill that would keep a soldier awake and alert in combat.
.
Without a negative impact on cognitive ability.
Our government trying to create chemically enhanced super-soldiers.
Why am I not surprised? - Daniel.
.
- Oh, it's historical fact.
Hitler revolutionized the production of crystal meth.
Japanese Kamikaze pilots popped Dexedrine so they could fly all the way to Pearl Harbor.
It's true.
Stimulants have always been a part of combat, but the problem is that sleep deprivation diminishes a soldier's ability to make good decisions.
But your rats didn't dumb down.
The Pentagon must be thrilled.
At first, they were over the moon.
But we had to terminate the study when we discovered the pill had some serious side effects.
Which were.
.
After two days, about 20% of the rats started to attack each other and self-mutilate.
That's one hell of a side effect.
And why we ended the study.
What happened to the pills? They were destroyed by my lab assistant.
Billy Mitchell.
We're lucky the campus isn't a bloodbath.
Yeah, but why isn't it? You said on some of the rats became violent? We isolated the trigger.
.
The pill made the rats hypersensitive to loud noises.
Auditory stimulation made them snap.
The pill would never have worked on the battlefield.
Karl didn't kill Christina.
But I know who did.
Hi.
- Can I help you? - Yeah.
We just have a few more questions to ask you, Annie.
Sure.
I mean, I'm kind of busy.
I have my biology Midterm tomorrow, and I still have six chapters to cover.
- That's a lot to cram in one night.
- Well, I have to get it done.
Med schools check Midterm grades, so I have to, you know.
.
Sorry.
You're a little jumpy.
Guess I'm just over-caffeinated.
You're taking Billy Mitchell's study aid, aren't you? He said the pills were legal.
I didn't do anything wrong.
But Billy did, and we need your help to nail him.
I needed an edge for the MCATs, and Billy said that the pills would help me study harder and better than ever.
- Mm-hmm.
- He was right.
I.
.
I studied for days and remembered everything I read.
Wow.
But did you find that loud noises became unpleasant, like Christina's music? Mm-hmm.
It was driving me crazy.
I had.
.
I'd been cramming for three days.
And then she started blasting her tunes.
Pretty inconsiderate.
Thank you.
Did you ask her to turn it down? I went up to her room to talk to her.
.
- Yeah? - Could you please turn the music down? - I'm trying to study.
- Whatever.
Ugh.
You must have been upset.
Okay.
All she cared about was partying.
It didn't bother her that she was messing with my life.
And she didn't turn it down, did she? She turned it up.
Not again.
Stop being such an uptight bitch.
.
.
.
And join the party.
Oh, that would have pissed me off.
- Mm.
- What did you do? Went back to my room and I put in earplugs.
And they didn't work, I'm guessing.
I feel for you, Annie.
I do.
There you are, working on the biggest test of your life, the one that's gonna determine your future.
And there's Christina, just screwing any chance you have of success.
- Yeah.
- Sounds to me like she was the bitch.
- Yeah! - You were working so hard, the music's blaring, it's driving you nuts.
You can't let her wreck your life.
I mean, you did what you had to do.
Of course.
Of course you did.
I told you to stop bugging me, bitch.
I went back up.
Karl was gone, and Christina was even nastier.
Screw you, Karl! I hope you get AIDS banging hookers in Cabo! Aah! I took the window, and I slammed it on her neck.
She knew I had the MCATs, and she didn't even care.
What did you do then? I turned off the music.
.
.
.
Went back to my room, and studied.
Without all that freaking noise, I could get a lot done.
Now I knew that I could totally ace the MCATs.
Hmm.
And I did.
Her lawyer is arguing that taking the drugs caused "diminished capacity".
Diminished capacity? She nailed the MCATs, practically got a perfect score.
Okay, so the drugs helped her nail a test, but is it also what made her a stone-cold killer? Maybe.
Or maybe she's just wired that way.
- Hmm.
- Kate! I don't think you're gonna be able to duck him.
It's okay.
I'm gonna take your advice.
I'm just gonna.
.
Gonna talk to him.
Good luck.
- Hi.
- I hear you solved the case.
I want to hear all about it over dinner tonight.
I found this amazing new Sushi bar.
They fly in their Uni straight from the Tsukiji market in Tokyo every day.
.
- It's amazing.
- Michael, um.
.
I don't think it's gonna work.
Not the Sushi.
I mean the whole.
.
Us.
Kate.
.
Maybe it's because I'm technically still married, or maybe because I'm kind of married to my job.
I don't know.
- Kate.
- I don't know what's wrong with me.
It's just, you're so nice, you're so smart, and you're handsome and funny.
- I.
.
- I get it.
You do? Of course.
But you know what I think? It's not the job.
.
Or the divorce.
It's, uh.
.
It's just that I'm not the guy for you.
Take care, Kate.
What's this? University catalog.
Astronomy, music theory, modern art.
.
The world's your oyster.
I'm not sure I'm going back to school.
Listen.
.
Listen to me, Brian.
When I.
.
When I was your age, something happened to me.
.
Too.
I was.
.
I was locked in a hospital, and I thought my life was over.
All my dreams went out the window.
What did you do? I found a new dream.
Came to say goodbye.
My hallucinations don't usually have such good manners.
I'm going away.
Time to travel, see the world.
First stop is Africa, to climb Kilimanjaro.
I'm sorry you didn't get to go, but.
.
You know, sometimes plan "B" turns out pretty good, too.
Our ambitions and our dreams.
.
Give us a glimpse of a beautiful someday.
And they can help us get through a sometimes less-than-beautiful today.
It's a tricky thing, though, ambition.
It can blind us to the price of success.
It can consume us.
.
Leading to dangerous obsessions.
.
Or empty hedonism.
But no matter how much we're fueled by this natural Neurological impulse.
Ambition isn't carved in stone.
Dreams change.
And even if we don't get to climb mountains.
.
There's still a chance that we can move them.
In the words of those old english poets.
.
You can't always get what you want.
But if you try sometime.
.
You might find you get what you need.
0 GPA, a million bucks.
.
Or just getting laid.
Ambition drives us all.
.
What William James called "the worship of the bitch Goddess success".
Now, Freud would have us believe that all drives stem from the libido.
Sorry, Sigmund.
Success is neurologically determined by one's ability to stay focused on a task, and persistence is a function of an active Limbic System.
Take, for instance, gridiron guy here.
Clearly, his Limbic System isn't firing on all cylinders.
Either that, or his ambition to win The Heisman supersedes his desire.
.
To pass this class! - Sorry.
- Morning, sunshine.
Speaking of passing this class, please pass your Midterm papers to Mr.
Lewicki here.
His ambition is to read them all.
.
Tonight.
I don't think any of them even remembered to spell-check.
Persistence, Lewicki.
Once in a while, a student surprises you.
Actually, Brian Cahill did.
I don't know who that is.
"Gridiron guy"? Ah.
Sleeping beauty.
Maybe your lecture wasn't interesting enough to keep him awake, but his paper's actually pretty good.
Too good.
His paper is obviously plagiarized.
There's no way that kid wrote this.
I'm not so sure.
Cahill's been getting pretty good grades.
Clearly from teachers who turn a blind eye to the shortcomings of a "student-athlete".
There's an oxymoron if I've ever heard one.
Well, I'm not dazzled by his athletic prowess.
We have an honor system here.
He should be out.
You're getting ahead of yourself, Daniel.
Now, first of all, there's no proof that he cheated.
And let me guess.
.
Second of all, he's a football star.
I'm not gonna deny having an all-American is good for recruiting.
Not to mention the bottom line.
Look, have you any idea how much we earn in broadcast fees alone? It's not like my department sees any of that.
No, but you don't have to explain to the board of trustees why you expelled a star linebacker and screwed up a shot at a bowl berth.
- Dean Haley.
- Great.
Great.
So, w.
.
We jettison our academic standards for filthy lucre.
What's next, automatic GPA inflation every time some yahoo scores a touchdown? Hang on.
I'm gonna have to deal with this later, something's come up.
What's more important than a campus cheating scandal? A campus murder.
Dinner was amazing.
I got the recipe from an ancient Berber woman in Marrakech.
Of course, to be truly authentic, I should have made it with pigeon, but the butcher at Whole Foods was appalled when I asked for it, so we had to settle for chicken.
Well, it was absolutely delicious.
Thank you.
I pull my own Warka.
The dough.
Of course.
Aah.
Excuse me.
Hello? I'll be right over.
I have to go.
I'm s.
.
It's Daniel.
Of course it is.
You look lovely.
I'm sorry if we ruined a special evening.
Oh, no.
Not at all.
The multi-talented Professor Hathaway? I understand you two might be quite an item.
W.
.
Why don't you tell me, uh, more about the murder? Well, campus security discovered a body in Brooks Hall.
A Junior, Christina Lake.
Okay.
Do they have a cause of death? A broken neck.
Ooh.
That's awful.
But I'm.
.
I'm sorry.
I'm just, I'm still a little confused as to why I'm here.
I mean, Chicago P.
D.
will catch this case.
Well, they did.
But I wanted to send a message to the parents and alumni that we're doing everything we can to keep the campus safe.
So I made a request that the FBI investigate.
Well, not to beat a dead cliché, but this is not exactly a federal case.
I mean, it's not terrorism or a school shooting.
So I'll talk to the investigating officer, but he might not like me butting in.
Also, my boss might have an issue with it, but, um.
.
Excuse me.
Wow.
Speak of the devil.
Moretti.
Yes.
I'm on it.
You called Reardon? I just.
.
Wanted to remind her the.
.
How many cases I've helped the Bureau close.
And it would be a shame if I got so busy that I couldn't keep.
.
Helping.
I don't know whether to be shocked or impressed.
We should start at Brooks Hall, talk to Christina's friends.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
This is not your case.
There's no "we".
There's no Neurological or behavioral angle here.
What? Sorry.
One of my students hasn't been showing up to class.
I assumed he was sick, but clearly he's well enough for a night out.
Well, why don't you go deal with him? That is your job.
After all, you're a Professor, not a cop.
Nice try, Agent Moretti.
This murder happened in my backyard.
You're not kicking me to the curb.
Shall we? My room is right beneath Christina's, so I can hear everything that goes on upstairs.
Hmm.
Did you hear anything tonight? She was cranking her tunes at full volume.
I had been cramming for my MCATs for three days, and it was nonstop.
Was Christina having problems with anyone? No way.
She had tons of friends.
I mean, you know the type.
.
All the girls want to be her, all the guys want to be with her.
Was Christina dating anyone? She just broke up with Billy Mitchell.
I have no idea why.
He's so freaking hot.
So, whose idea was the breakup? Well, Christina dumped him.
.
And Billy was not happy.
They'd been arguing about it all week.
You could hear the yelling all over the dorm.
Were they fighting tonight? All I could hear was the music.
But I.
.
I did pass Billy in the hall.
Does Billy live in the dorm? No, in Farnsworth, but I just saw him at the vigil on the quad.
That's Billy.
Billy Mitchell? FBI.
Billy Mitchell, you're under arrest.
Look, you're crazy if you believe that I'd hurt Christina.
She's been my girlfriend since freshman year in high school.
Yeah, well, from what I've heard, there was trouble in paradise.
What were you kids fighting about? I told her I was gonna transfer to M.
I.
T.
Because they have a better chemistry program.
She freaked out.
She begged me not to leave Chicago.
So two weeks after I promised I'd stay, she dumps me.
Why? Because that piece of euro trash messed with her head.
Which piece of euro trash are we talking about here? This guy Karl.
Some Prussian Prince or something.
Thinks, like, a title makes him better than the rest of us.
This guy is a jerk.
Goes through women like Kleenex in flu season.
Guy stole your girl.
That's got to be rough.
No, no.
This guy's bad news.
I Googled him, found out all sorts of dirt.
That's why I went to see Christina, to tell her not to get mixed up with the guy.
And then when she didn't listen, you got angry.
Yes, but.
.
But I didn't kill her.
She was alive when I left.
Anybody see you go? Yeah.
Karl.
Told me to leave Christina alone.
I heard him yelling at her when I left.
You know, maybe that creep killed her.
Yeah, my money's still on you.
I didn't do this.
Then why'd you run? Because I had a joint in my pocket.
I was afraid you were gonna bust me, so I flushed it.
You should be talking to Karl.
"Prince Karl of Hesse-Brandenberg".
"Third son of a minor German noble family".
So no power left, just titles and castles.
According to "Lifestyles of the rich and infamous".
.
Karl is quite the problem child.
Looks like he's been expelled from two boarding schools in England.
.
Accused of slapping a model in a discotheque in Monte Carlo.
.
Accused of the rape of a hotel maid in Ibiza, but no charges were ever filed.
I'll bet a very fat check goes a long way to convincing a victim not to prosecute.
The Agent I sent to Karl's condo called in.
Doorman says he left last night for the airport.
I'll call TSA, have them check airline manifests.
You think the playboy of the Western World flies commercial? He's got a private plane.
Well, he must have filed a flight plan.
To St.
Louis.
It never got there.
Reach out to Homeland, State, Interpol.
Maybe somebody knows where this plane really went.
Hmm.
Hey.
Smart guy.
We need to talk.
Yeah, I'm.
.
Kind of busy.
That's okay.
I've got to get some sleep.
I'll catch up with you later.
What the hell are you doing? - Excuse me? - You don't come to class, you don't hand in your paper, it's 7:00 A.
M.
, you.
.
Have you been up partying all night? Since when is my social life your business? You're one of the brightest students at this university, and I can't remember the last time I saw you at one of my lectures.
You're blowing your chances at med school.
Who says I want to go to med school? You're changing your major? Man.
.
It's not all about majors and cramming for midterms.
I've got a band, a girlfriend.
.
And you'll have plenty of time for all of that once you flunk out.
- Look, I'm working on the paper.
- Work faster.
I'm giving you till the end of the day tomorrow to turn in that paper, or I'm failing you.
Now get your ass to class.
Mister Lewicki here tells me that you've been falling asleep in section all week.
- Are we boring you? - No, Sir.
There's no need to deny it.
I'm sure a student of your perspicacity must be unchallenged by intro to neuropsych.
Y.
.
Your Midterm paper displays a brilliant grasp of the subject.
I'd love to hear more about your alternative view of the mind-body link.
You remember.
.
Page 12? You didn't write this, did you? No, Sir.
I bought it.
Who from? Rumor is he's a grad student, but I don't know the dude's name.
Then how'd you get the paper? A guy on the team gave me an e-mail address.
I sent the assignment and And a couple days later, the essay showed up in my e-mail.
I.
.
I'm sorry.
I've.
.
I've never cheated before.
Oh, come on.
I've seen your grades.
You've been getting a free pass around here.
But not this time, not from me.
I swear, I used to be a good student.
I just.
.
I can't concentrate any more.
How long have you been feeling like that? I don't know.
Pretty much all semester.
Look me straight in the eye.
You see this? See the disparity in pupil size? It's Anischoria.
What is that? What are you talking about? Have you been having trouble breathing? A little.
Headaches? Yeah.
How did.
.
How'd you know? How long have you been playing football? I mean, I started pee-wee at 8, full contact when I was 9.
Have you been hit harder than usual lately? I mean, I ended up at the bottom of a dog pile a couple months ago, and my helmet flew off.
I mean, back of my head got stomped pretty hard.
Well, as I suspected, you have a subdural hematoma.
A brain bleed.
Am I gonna miss the game on Saturday? Yeah.
And every one after that.
I'm out for the season? You're not getting it.
You can't play football ever again.
If I don't play, I'll lose my scholarship.
It's either that, or risk permanent brain damage.
Your choice.
I found Karl.
.
In Cabo San Lucas.
And they say there's no such thing as inter-agency cooperation.
I'm glad State came through.
They didn't.
Then who located him? Homeland? Interpol? TMZ.
I need you to sign off on a travel voucher so I can go down and pick him up.
We're on an austerity budget.
Let the Mexican police pick him up.
Listen, the Federales aren't exactly known for their.
.
Integrity.
The money gets into the right hands, Karl's off to a country where we can't extradite him.
So, where to, chicas? The beach.
.
Or the pool? Adult swim's over, Karl.
Pardon me, ladies.
He's coming with me.
You'll never get away with treating me like this! If I get a slap on the wrist, it's worth it, because I know that you murdered Christina.
I didn't kill her! Oh, yeah? Tell me all about it.
I'm not a moron.
I'm not saying anything else without my lawyer.
Then I guess my job here is done.
Oh.
Look at that.
Right in time for the 4:00 flight.
Hmm.
Okay.
Enjoy your stay.
But, you know, I could take you with me.
If you just sign this little waiver of extradition, we could be on our way to the airport.
You could call your lawyer from the plane.
Dr.
Pierce.
I finished the essay with a couple hours to spare.
I'm surprised you put so much time into it.
Hey, it's done, so save the lecture.
Stay.
I'll read it now.
Is this a joke? Hey, I busted my ass on that paper.
This isn't your work.
Yesterday you told me that I was one of the smartest students here, so you know I don't need to cheat.
I wrote this.
when I was an undergrad.
Did you think I wouldn't recognize my own words, or are you just trying to be cute? I'm telling you I wrote it.
You've just destroyed your academic future.
Fine.
You think I want to sit in a dusty, old office all day, like you? No freaking way.
Your life is sad and pathetic.
.
Old man.
Who the hell do you think you are? Oh, I'm.
.
I'm sorry.
Did.
.
Did you forget my name? It's D.
J.
Short for Daniel J.
Pierce.
I'm you.
Before you cracked up and forgot how to have a life.
Hey, Doc, we're late.
Are you okay? How could I not recognize myself? I didn't make the connection until he told me his name.
You don't remember any of your students' names.
It's always "gridiron guy," "goth girl".
Why do you do that? Oh, come on, Daniel.
It's psych 101.
It's a defense mechanism.
You keep your students at arm's length because you don't want to remember what it was like to be their age.
That's bullshit.
Is it? What were you like at 19? Insufferably cocky.
I thought I was smarter than most of my teachers, didn't care much about my education because it all came so easily.
And what did you want to do with your life? Travel the world.
Climb Kilimanjaro.
Tour with my band.
You wanted to go to med school.
No.
That was just a fallback, in case I didn't make the cover Rolling Stone by the time I was 25.
Yet for all that ambition and such an active Limbic System, none of that ever happened.
Yeah.
A little thing called paranoid schizophrenia kind of got in the way.
So you got diagnosed, and your dreams died.
No wonder you didn't recognize D.
J.
You wanted to forget everything that you'd lost when you got sick.
Gee, thank you for making me feel like a complete failure.
- You're missing the point.
- Please, skewer me with it.
Look at what you've accomplished in spite of your diagnosis.
Top of your class in med school, you've written seven books, won the Davenport Prize.
Compared to where you could have ended up, you've truly climbed Kilimanjaro.
So I repressed my tragic past rather than confront my shortcomings.
How very freudian of me.
Tell me, frau doktor, in your hallucinatory opinion, why am I being haunted by the ghost of Christmas past now? Because your unresolved issues are keeping you from dealing with your students.
- I deal with my students every day.
- You lecture them.
But emotionally, you're totally disengaged.
- I'm a Professor, not a wet nurse.
- Now, what about Brian Cahill? He had his future taken away because of a brain injury.
You of all people should be able to relate to that.
But, no, you just made the diagnosis and walked away.
Hey, I saved that kid's life.
But was the life you saved the one he wanted? You asked to see me? I just.
.
Wanted to apologize.
What for? I was a little perfunctory about your diagnosis.
I.
.
I should have done more to help you acclimate to your condition.
Have you spoken to your parents? I.
.
I could call them.
Ah, no.
It's okay.
I told Dean Haley that your injury was sustained on the field, so your scholarship won't be revoked.
You don't have to play to stay in school.
Um, here's a referral to a therapist who specializes in Neurological issues.
Talking helps.
And don't worry about the paper you bought.
We'll, uh.
.
We'll let that slide.
Thanks, Dr.
Pierce.
I really appreciate it.
Hey, Doc.
- Oh.
Hey, Brian.
- Hey.
- Oh, right.
- Sorry to interrupt, but, um, Kate called.
She's back from Mexico.
Karl did not kill Christina.
Witnesses place him in her dorm room right before her death.
She was alive when I took off.
Yeah, but you were arguing.
I wanted her to come with me to a party in Mexico, but she thought a Midterm in sociology was more important.
So I left.
Yeah, and you took some of her DNA with you.
We searched your apartment, and we found smears of Christina's blood all over your floor.
You must have tracked it in on your shoes.
Give us a moment, would you? Attagirl.
Thank you.
Last week, Christina was over at my place, and she had a nosebleed.
Why? Because you backhanded her? I don't like your attitude, Agent Moretti.
My client has nothing more to say.
That's fine.
I've got enough to hold him.
Yeah, just one small problem, though.
Karl has an alibi.
I just got a text from my investigator.
He's bringing a witness down now who can prove Karl had nothing to do with this.
I was heading back from the library, and I ran into Karl outside the dorm.
So you two know each other.
Well, he's kind of hard to miss.
He.
.
He drives a Ferrari.
Okay.
Did you talk to him? He looked upset, so I asked him if he was okay, and.
.
He said he just had this big fight with his girlfriend.
Did he say anything else? No.
He just got in his car and drove off.
So now you know he didn't do it, right? No.
I'm sorry, Shannon.
Your story does not prove that Karl's innocent.
I mean, for all we know, he could have looked upset because he had just murdered Christina.
No way.
She was still alive.
How do you know that? I saw her yelling out the window at him as he drove off.
I saw her, so Karl couldn't have killed her.
I just don't buy it.
Shannon pops up out of nowhere with an alibi that Karl forgot to mention in Mexico? So, what's your theory? The first time the lawyer mentioned a witness was right after he got a text, so I think he had his investigator go out and find somebody who was willing to lie for money.
I mean, it's the Hesse-brandenburg M.
O.
Spread a little cash around, make the charges go away.
Break the alibi, Agent Moretti, or your boy's gonna walk.
Okay.
If you've got one of your brilliant Daniel Pierce ideas, I'm all ears.
Search her room.
My guess.
.
You're gonna find an envelope full of cash.
But I.
.
I don't have grounds for a warrant.
I mean, without one, I can't so much as open her door.
Dr.
Pierce! - How can I help you? - Oh, sorry.
I thought this was Shannon Duquesne's room.
I'm her roommate.
Ah.
Well, um.
.
I lent Shannon a book.
I didn't know she was in your class.
She isn't, but, uh, she expressed interest in taking it next term, and I suggested she do some reading first, but I need the book for a lecture.
Oh, well, that's Shannon's desk over there.
I'd offer to help, but I'm late for study group.
- Midterm tomorrow.
- I think I can manage.
- All right.
- Won't be a minute.
This is nuts.
You're kidding me.
You're obsessed with Karl.
I don't know what you're talking about.
"My Prince Charming"? Your scrapbook? That.
.
That is private.
You had no right.
.
You lost the right to privacy when you decided to lie to the FBI.
Now tell us the truth about what happened the night of the murder.
Shannon, you're absolutely right.
I had no business looking at your private things.
But it did make me realize how deeply you care about Karl.
You've obviously felt that way for a long time.
Do you remember h.
.
How it started? Well, when I was 12, I saw a picture of him playing polo in people magazine.
He was.
.
All in white, on this gorgeous horse, and.
.
I just.
.
I knew he was my destiny.
So you came here to go to school, to be near him.
Well, I was never gonna meet Karl back home in Pittsburgh, so.
.
I signed up for the same classes, and I gave him my notes a couple of times.
He didn't really notice me.
Um, so I.
.
I went to this party.
.
And he was there, and finally.
.
It happened.
You mean you slept with him.
It was the best night of my life.
But then.
.
Then he started dating Christina Lake.
I tried to tell him how much I love him, but he said he only slept with me because he was drunk.
I begged him to give me a chance.
I told him that I would do anything for him.
And then when Karl got arrested, he remembered what you'd said and told his lawyer.
The investigator said that Karl was in trouble.
That it would really help him if I remembered seeing him drive away.
Do you know how much trouble you're in for lying to the FBI? It's worth it.
Now Karl will realize how much I love him.
Karl's back on the hook for the murder.
He's not the only one.
- You think Shannon could have done it? - You heard her.
She idolizes Karl.
And he only has eyes for Christina.
So you think Shannon could have killed Christina to get her out of the way.
Mm-hmm.
From no suspects to a twofer.
- You just made my day.
- Good.
And because they conspired to lie about Karl's alibi, I've got enough to hold both of them while I figure out who the killer is.
Moretti.
Wait.
Wait.
Hey.
Hold on.
It's Max.
Yeah.
Lewicki? What? Okay.
Bad news? One of my students got injured playing football.
Try moving your toes.
You're lucky.
After the craniotomy, the paralysis disappeared.
What the hell were you thinking? I told you I fixed your scholarship.
You didn't have to play.
- You don't understand.
- Why would you take a risk like this? Since I was a little kid, football's been my life.
If I wasn't playing, I was training.
I never wanted to do.
.
Anything else.
So what the hell am I.
.
If I'm not a football player? You told Shannon to lie.
I haven't told anybody anything.
Yeah, but you talked to your attorney.
And everything we discussed is privileged.
Not if it constitutes a crime.
And manipulating an obviously disturbed young woman into lying to Federal Agents certainly qualifies.
.
It's obstruction of justice and witness tampering.
We've answered all of your questions, some of them twice.
So either charge my client, or let him go.
You're free to leave.
Nice knowing you.
Not my call.
U.
S.
Attorney's office declined to file charges.
- I don't believe this.
- I don't like it any more than you do.
But State's getting pressure from the German Ambassador.
They're afraid it might lead to a diplomatic incident.
- What happens to Shannon? - I had to let her go, too.
She lied to a Federal Agent.
That's a crime.
Yeah, but the A.
U.
S.
A.
doesn't want to prosecute a lovesick girl for protecting a boy who may very well be innocent himself.
Karl's not innocent.
He's just rich enough to afford immunity.
- Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! - What? .
.
The U.
N.
summit on Africa last month, and I'll tell you what I told him.
.
That without a paradigm shift, we will never end the famines, no matter how many T-shirts we sell.
Why are you hiding from Professor wonderful? He's such a nice guy.
And he's funny.
.
And he's.
.
Smart, and he cooks.
I mean, he's perfect, but I just.
.
I keep pushing him away, and I don't know why.
I do.
Because she's into you.
I mean, I just don't know, really, - how to handle it, you know? - Listen, tell her to dump him.
- I care, obviously, but I just don't.
.
- Then you can make your move.
Daniel.
Look at me, how long are you gonna let this go on for? I can't seem to make up my mind is what I'm trying to say.
- I'm sorry I'm rambling.
- She clearly wants you.
She doesn't want Hathaway.
Stop! - Sorry.
- No.
- Oh, so sorry.
I wasn't trying to.
.
- I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable.
You didn't.
I.
.
I.
.
I just meant you should.
You should stop talking to me.
.
And you should tell Hathaway how you.
.
How you feel.
I.
.
I got to go.
Doc, there you are.
I was looking for you.
Why? What are you so chipper about? Well, I got to wondering about the whole paper-selling business.
Cahill said it was a grad student, so I took a little initiative.
Oh, you're playing Junior Detective now? I e-mailed the paper writer, and I told him I needed a paper analyzing Viznevsky's Neurological Anatomy of Psychopathology.
That's a terrible idea.
Nobody would ever do a paper on Viznevsky.
His thinking is totally outdated.
I'm surprised the book's even in print.
It's not.
It's not even online.
That's the genius of it.
You knew he'd have to go to the library to get it.
- Lewicki, you sly dog.
- He walked right into my little trap.
The dude's a PHD student in English Lit.
His name's Andre Lustig.
I've been working on my PHD for six years.
I'm $70,000 in debt.
I have no idea how I'm gonna pay that back.
My specialization is in Late Medieval poetry.
Give me a list of every student you wrote a paper for, and I'll allow you to withdraw from CLMU.
But no other school will take me.
I'll never finish my doctorate.
Your M.
A.
might allow you to get a job at a prep school.
Now, I want a list of those customers.
I don't remember their names.
I've had like 100 clients this semester.
How is that possible? I churn out a couple papers a day.
Bullshit.
I was a great student before I turned into you, and even I couldn't write two papers a day.
The paper you wrote for Brian Cahill was good.
It's hard to believe you wrote that in a day.
I don't sleep very much.
What do you take, Andre? Cocaine? Speed? Just a study aid.
Helps keeps me awake and my brain razor-sharp.
What kind of "study aid"? It's just some pill some brainiac kid in the Chem Department makes.
Our Chem Department might not be as good as M.
I.
T.
's, but it turns out some high-end product.
All right.
Who's the dealer, Andre? I don't know his name.
I do.
What's cooking, Billy? Wouldn't be a batch of methamphetamine, would it? - What's going on? - You claimed that you ran from me to flush some marijuana.
And then I remembered, you're a chemistry major.
Yeah? So? What's that got to do with anything? We all know about your little sideline.
Your magic pills are what went down the drain in that bathroom, am I right? It's just a study aid.
The pills aren't even illegal.
Then why'd you run? Trust me, Billy.
You don't want to screw with me twice.
Because I stole the pills.
From who? Professor Emmett.
They're from an experiment she's been working on.
The drug was a major breakthrough.
The rats could run the maze for 36 hours straight, and their problem-solving abilities skyrocketed.
Are you in FDA trials? It wasn't for the open market.
My funding came from the Defense Department.
They wanted a pill that would keep a soldier awake and alert in combat.
.
Without a negative impact on cognitive ability.
Our government trying to create chemically enhanced super-soldiers.
Why am I not surprised? - Daniel.
.
- Oh, it's historical fact.
Hitler revolutionized the production of crystal meth.
Japanese Kamikaze pilots popped Dexedrine so they could fly all the way to Pearl Harbor.
It's true.
Stimulants have always been a part of combat, but the problem is that sleep deprivation diminishes a soldier's ability to make good decisions.
But your rats didn't dumb down.
The Pentagon must be thrilled.
At first, they were over the moon.
But we had to terminate the study when we discovered the pill had some serious side effects.
Which were.
.
After two days, about 20% of the rats started to attack each other and self-mutilate.
That's one hell of a side effect.
And why we ended the study.
What happened to the pills? They were destroyed by my lab assistant.
Billy Mitchell.
We're lucky the campus isn't a bloodbath.
Yeah, but why isn't it? You said on some of the rats became violent? We isolated the trigger.
.
The pill made the rats hypersensitive to loud noises.
Auditory stimulation made them snap.
The pill would never have worked on the battlefield.
Karl didn't kill Christina.
But I know who did.
Hi.
- Can I help you? - Yeah.
We just have a few more questions to ask you, Annie.
Sure.
I mean, I'm kind of busy.
I have my biology Midterm tomorrow, and I still have six chapters to cover.
- That's a lot to cram in one night.
- Well, I have to get it done.
Med schools check Midterm grades, so I have to, you know.
.
Sorry.
You're a little jumpy.
Guess I'm just over-caffeinated.
You're taking Billy Mitchell's study aid, aren't you? He said the pills were legal.
I didn't do anything wrong.
But Billy did, and we need your help to nail him.
I needed an edge for the MCATs, and Billy said that the pills would help me study harder and better than ever.
- Mm-hmm.
- He was right.
I.
.
I studied for days and remembered everything I read.
Wow.
But did you find that loud noises became unpleasant, like Christina's music? Mm-hmm.
It was driving me crazy.
I had.
.
I'd been cramming for three days.
And then she started blasting her tunes.
Pretty inconsiderate.
Thank you.
Did you ask her to turn it down? I went up to her room to talk to her.
.
- Yeah? - Could you please turn the music down? - I'm trying to study.
- Whatever.
Ugh.
You must have been upset.
Okay.
All she cared about was partying.
It didn't bother her that she was messing with my life.
And she didn't turn it down, did she? She turned it up.
Not again.
Stop being such an uptight bitch.
.
.
.
And join the party.
Oh, that would have pissed me off.
- Mm.
- What did you do? Went back to my room and I put in earplugs.
And they didn't work, I'm guessing.
I feel for you, Annie.
I do.
There you are, working on the biggest test of your life, the one that's gonna determine your future.
And there's Christina, just screwing any chance you have of success.
- Yeah.
- Sounds to me like she was the bitch.
- Yeah! - You were working so hard, the music's blaring, it's driving you nuts.
You can't let her wreck your life.
I mean, you did what you had to do.
Of course.
Of course you did.
I told you to stop bugging me, bitch.
I went back up.
Karl was gone, and Christina was even nastier.
Screw you, Karl! I hope you get AIDS banging hookers in Cabo! Aah! I took the window, and I slammed it on her neck.
She knew I had the MCATs, and she didn't even care.
What did you do then? I turned off the music.
.
.
.
Went back to my room, and studied.
Without all that freaking noise, I could get a lot done.
Now I knew that I could totally ace the MCATs.
Hmm.
And I did.
Her lawyer is arguing that taking the drugs caused "diminished capacity".
Diminished capacity? She nailed the MCATs, practically got a perfect score.
Okay, so the drugs helped her nail a test, but is it also what made her a stone-cold killer? Maybe.
Or maybe she's just wired that way.
- Hmm.
- Kate! I don't think you're gonna be able to duck him.
It's okay.
I'm gonna take your advice.
I'm just gonna.
.
Gonna talk to him.
Good luck.
- Hi.
- I hear you solved the case.
I want to hear all about it over dinner tonight.
I found this amazing new Sushi bar.
They fly in their Uni straight from the Tsukiji market in Tokyo every day.
.
- It's amazing.
- Michael, um.
.
I don't think it's gonna work.
Not the Sushi.
I mean the whole.
.
Us.
Kate.
.
Maybe it's because I'm technically still married, or maybe because I'm kind of married to my job.
I don't know.
- Kate.
- I don't know what's wrong with me.
It's just, you're so nice, you're so smart, and you're handsome and funny.
- I.
.
- I get it.
You do? Of course.
But you know what I think? It's not the job.
.
Or the divorce.
It's, uh.
.
It's just that I'm not the guy for you.
Take care, Kate.
What's this? University catalog.
Astronomy, music theory, modern art.
.
The world's your oyster.
I'm not sure I'm going back to school.
Listen.
.
Listen to me, Brian.
When I.
.
When I was your age, something happened to me.
.
Too.
I was.
.
I was locked in a hospital, and I thought my life was over.
All my dreams went out the window.
What did you do? I found a new dream.
Came to say goodbye.
My hallucinations don't usually have such good manners.
I'm going away.
Time to travel, see the world.
First stop is Africa, to climb Kilimanjaro.
I'm sorry you didn't get to go, but.
.
You know, sometimes plan "B" turns out pretty good, too.
Our ambitions and our dreams.
.
Give us a glimpse of a beautiful someday.
And they can help us get through a sometimes less-than-beautiful today.
It's a tricky thing, though, ambition.
It can blind us to the price of success.
It can consume us.
.
Leading to dangerous obsessions.
.
Or empty hedonism.
But no matter how much we're fueled by this natural Neurological impulse.
Ambition isn't carved in stone.
Dreams change.
And even if we don't get to climb mountains.
.
There's still a chance that we can move them.
In the words of those old english poets.
.
You can't always get what you want.
But if you try sometime.
.
You might find you get what you need.