The Chapel Files: February 2016

A young woman flips through the card catalog at a college research library. A guy watches her too closely, gets up, and follows her upstairs. While looking through the stacks, a thump startles the girl. She hears another thump. The guy, Bill, startles her even more by coming up behind her. Bill is wearing a letterman style jacket with the letters Phi Kappa on it.

"You're Terry, right?" Bill asks. Terry confirms her name and that she's on the yearbook staff. She tells Bill good night. Bill grabs her and says he's always wondered about her. "There's not much to know," Terry says, clearly uncomfortable. She asks Bill to let go of her arm and leave her alone. Bill lets go and continues following her through the stacks. Suddenly, he grabs her from behind, whispers, "I want you" and forces her to the floor. Theme song.

In a bizarre change of tone, we cut to Mac and Joey in the Chapel. They ask Judy how good she is at basketball. She was on the all-city team 3 years in high school. Mac tells her that two cops and dispatcher from another precinct bet $200 that Jump Street can't beat them in a 3-on-3 basketball game. The game is that night. Judy tells the guys she has plans.

"Let her go, guys," says Cap'n Rufus. Mac gripes that Judy can go on a date anytime. Cap'n Rufus explains that she always has "a personal thing" on Wednesday nights. If Joey and Mac want to know more, they have to ask Judy.

Judy's "personal thing" is volunteering at a local rape crisis center. Terry comes in, asking to talk to someone. Judy takes her to a private area with a couch. Terry sobs out that she was attacked by Bill. She stayed in the library for a long time afterward, then she ran to the student union to call the campus police. Campus PD questioned Terry, drove her to the hospital, and said they'd take care of it. Judy asks what the city police said.

As far as Terry knows, the city police were never contacted. The dean keeps brushing her off and it's been over a week since the rape. Judy offers to have her friend who's a cop look into it.

Judy tells Cap'n Rufus about Bill following Terry through the library before raping her at knifepoint. She can't find any record of campus PD reporting the rape to a nearby precinct. Rufus is on his way to a meeting downtown and says he'll stop by to talk to the campus police.

At campus PD, Cap'n Rufus meets with Captain Briggs. Rufus asks about the rape that was reported last Friday. Briggs plays dumb. Rufus knows that the victim called campus PD and that the officers who took her statement dropped her off at the ER. Briggs tells Rufus that nothing like that could've happened without him hearing about it. Rufus isn't convinced. Briggs invites Cap'n Rufus to look through Friday's police blotter, insisting nobody reported a rape. Rufus checks the book and sighs.

It's late at night when Cap'n Rufus gets back to the Chapel and Judy is still there. He fills her in on his visit to the campus police. Judy knows Terry is telling the truth. Cap'n Rufus offers to send Judy undercover on campus; they won't ask the college to cooperate since it seems they're trying to cover up what happened to Terry. Judy has an idea for a cover...

Judy goes to the dean's office, posing as a new secretary doing work study. The dean notes how fast Judy types and wishes she'd take the job full-time. Judy tells the dean that she took a message from Judy while the dean was at an alumni brunch. The dean instructs Judy to take another message if Terry calls again. Judy says, "She said something about being raped. Aren't you concerned?"

The dean, who it should be noted is female, claims she's talked to Terry several times. The dean adds that it's impossible for the incident to have happened at all. At the time of the rape, the accused rapist was 50 miles away buying beer for his fraternity's kegger.

Judy goes to the hospital. A nurse looks through a file cabinet and tells her that nobody with the last name Carter received a sexual assault exam. The only Jane Doe who came to the ER that night was a cardiac patient.

Judy meets with Terry again at the rape crisis center. Terry insists that she went to the hospital but admits she didn't stay for the exam. She went home, took a bath, and went to sleep with the aid of Valium. The campus PD officers didn't stay with her at the hospital. Terry worries that Bill won't be prosecuted because she didn't get the exam. Judy tells her the case will be hard to prove since Bill has an alibi.

Joey goes to the campus PD for a job interview. Briggs asks why Joey dropped out of the police academy. Joey says, "Look, man, I'm honest, I'm tough, and I'm available." Briggs agrees to hire Joey; he can start that night. Joey has to buy his own uniform, but the rest of the gear will be supplied by campus PD.

Briggs gives Joey a tour of the station. He points out the emergency line, which records all incoming calls: "usually just stolen bikes, loud parties, and the occasional fight with the townies." Joey asks what they do if it's something major like murder. Briggs replies that they call the city police.

Outside, Mac is waiting for Joey in the car. He's also starting an assignment that night: Phi Kappa Delta, Bill's fraternity. Mac always thought being in a fraternity would be a lot of fun. "Don't they make you do a buncha weird rituals like runnin' around town in your underpants with olives taped to your nipples?" Joey asks as he finishes a Twinkie that Mac had been eating. Gross.

Mac tells Joey that only pledges have to do that stuff. He bought a Phi Kappa Delta pin at a pawn shop and will be posing as an active brother who's transferring from another school. At the Phi Kappa Delta house, the boys are playing poker with cookies as poker chips. Mac is introduced to the chapter president, who just so happens to be Bill. They explain that they're using cookies because Dave lost the poker chips.

After the game, Mac goes to the Chapel with his winnings. Mac thinks it'll be hard to disprove Bill's alibi; he had a receipt for the beer. The liquor store Bill went to is known for not carding people.

Back at the Phi Kappa Delta house, Mac works on his transfer application. He doesn't know what to put down as his major; his major at Syracuse is undeclared. Bill advises him to pick a major that's not crowded. Bill himself is majoring in history and plans to go to law school. Another brother tells Bill that he has a phone call. He implies to Mac that Bill's seat at law school is bought and paid for by his rich daddy.

At the library, Terry calls campus PD. She's been waiting over half an hour for someone to come walk her back to her dorm. She agrees to wait longer and hangs up. Outside, Joey is writing a parking ticket for a car that practically parked inside the library. Meanwhile, Terry is furious because the volunteer escorts who turn up are Bill and one of his fraternity brothers.

Joey hears her screams and races to investigate. He pulls Bill off Terry and handcuffs him. Joey advises the other students present to stick around because they're all witnesses. Frat Boy #2 insists Bill didn't do anything. "What do you mean, he didn't do anything? He raped me!" shrieks Terry. Frat Boy #2 says Terry attacked Bill; Bill backs him up and there's a murmur of general agreement from the crowd. Terry can't believe it.

At campus PD, Briggs scolds Joey for handcuffing Bill. Officers aren't allowed to touch anybody and besides, "these kids aren't street trash! They're college students! Whatever happens is between them; let them sue each other."

In the dean's office, Judy informs the dean that she just took another message from Terry. The dean insists the school is doing everything they can to get Terry psychological counseling. She heard about the incident at the library and: "If he [Bill] raped her, why would he be stupid enough to go anywhere near her?" Judy thinks the dean is being unfair.

Mac talks to Bill about Terry. He insists Terry is crazy and obsessed with him. His dad's lawyer promised to take care of it.

Bill has a court hearing to get a restraining order against Terry. The female judge asks if Terry wants to hire her own attorney, but Terry declines. Terry admits to hitting Bill because he raped her two weeks earlier. The judge asks if Terry is pressing charges through the DA's office. Terry says no.

Bill's lawyer says Terry's statement demonstrates why the restraining order is necessary. Terry met Bill through the yearbook; he was the editor. Bill's lawyer asks if Terry had sexual fantasies about Bill, whether she has a steady boyfriend or dates casually. Terry doesn't have a boyfriend and last dated a month and a half ago. The lawyer asks if Terry had sex with said date; she did. The lawyer asks if they stopped dating because Terry wasn't sexually satisfied.

Terry, understandably, loses it: "You bastard! You know what he did! He raped me!" The judge sharply tells her to sit down and urges Terry to press charges against Bill. The judge grants the restraining order. Terry runs out of the courtroom in tears. Judy urges her not to give up on having Bill put in jail.

At the Chapel, Cap'n Rufus announces they're stopping their investigation. Terry isn't considered a victim anymore and there's no forensic evidence. Judy wants to stay undercover by herself. Fuller gives her half a day to end her cover.

In the frat house, Mac tells Bill that his transfer was denied so he's going back to Syracuse. Bill wishes him luck. Mac goes outside and talks to Dave. Dave drives a small convertible, but he can still transport two kegs by putting one in the trunk and one in the passenger seat. He did this the night that Bill was supposedly with him. Mac flashes his badge. Dave insists that Bill didn't rape Terry and will testify to that if he has to. Mac explains perjury to Dave and adds that he also has a case against Dave for aiding and abetting.

Bill is Dave's best friend, so Dave lied when the campus PD showed up at the fraternity house to question Bill. The captain got a call on the recorded emergency line while they were at the station and let them both go.

At campus PD, Joey finds the 911 tapes from the night of Terry's rape and gets ready to play them for Mac. Briggs orders Joey to put the tapes away. "I lied about droppin' outta the academy. I graduated!" Joey says brightly, producing his badge and a warrant. The tape is a conversation between Briggs and Dean Crane. Briggs wanted to do the right thing and hand the case off to city PD. Dean Crane says, "I know that boy. His father's given the university over $4 million. Bill Howard did not do this."

Briggs tells her it's not their job to decide guilt or innocence. "It is if you want to continue working here," Dean Crane threatens. Joey arrests Briggs and reads him his rights. Mac marches Bill out of the frat house and reads him his rights; Judy does the same to Dean Crane. The dean insists she only had the students' best interests at heart when she covered up Terry's rape.

Terry visits Judy at the rape crisis center to thank her. Terry is pressing charges against Bill and plans to testify at his trial. Another college-age girl comes in to report a rape. End of episode.

The Chapel Files

Case #5.13: "The Education of Terry Carver"

Case #5.12: "Equal Protection"