21 Jump Street (Tom Hanson)

Night on the Corner: Tom's Version

December 1988

Mickey was on vacation, so she did not have the pleasure of meeting Detective Dennis Booker. I was very envious of her. I do not know about anyone else, but I would much rather shoot myself in the foot than work with him ever again.

Mickey knows all about him. I called her once—or twice— just to complain. I am usually a suck-it-up kind of guy, but Booker was my exception. The man electrocuted me during school. For fun. I think I deserve a little bit of sympathy.

Turns out, he was investigating us at Jump Street to see if we were entrapping kids. He was from Internal Affairs, and then one thing led to another and now he works with us. I have no idea how that happened. Fuller obviously did not take my complaints into consideration. I loathed him with a passion. Again, I will voluntarily shoot myself in the foot. I encourage it. I will pay someone to do it if I have to.

Fuller told me about a new case he was assigning me to, along with Booker, Mickey, and Judy. The girls would be working Vice while Booker and I would pick them up while they are working undercover as prostitutes so they can catch a guy who has been killing prostitutes around the city and leaving them in alleys.

The first night, I drove around a little in my Mustang until my time came to pull up at the corner. I parked a little further down the road and turned off my lights because Booker beat me to it.

I quickly spot Mickey and Judy under the street lamps that illuminated the dark street. They were surrounded by real prostitutes, but we weren't here for them. I scratched my cheek and looked away, because even though they could not see me, I wanted to stay respectful towards them.

As soon as I saw Mickey hop in Bookers car and drive away, I slowly approached the sidewalk to take his spot. I rolled the window down and Judy approached my car.

"Hey, sugar. How's your night going?" Judy asked while leaning into my window.

"Uh—good," I said shakily. I was not used to doing stuff like this.

"My name is Crystal. I'll blow you for $10," she offered.

My eyes widened, because I did not realize how into the case they were going to be. Judging from their outfits, they were going all in. Sometimes I forget that you have to be 110% into it in order to be believable. But hearing Judy say something like that made me feel uneasy.

I cleared my throat awkwardly and looked down at the wad of cash that Fuller gave me earlier. "How does $100 for the night sound?"

Judy smiled and nodded. I unlocked the car and let her in. Once she came inside, she closed the door and I drove off.

We both dropped the act and she started shivering in the seat. I didn't bring a jacket or anything, so I rolled the window up and cranked the heat as high as it could go.

"Thanks," she said.

"Don't mention it," I said. I stopped at a stop light and asked her, "where should we go?"

She clicked her tongue in thought and she suggested, "how about James Motel?"

"Never been there."

"Take the next left."

Judy gave me directions on how to get to the James Motel, and we checked into a room. It was musty and gross, but we tried to stay optimistic. Judy and I have not really been assigned many cases together, nor have we hung out outside of work so it was a little bit awkward. But, we made the best out of our situation. I think my favorite part of the night was either when we saw a crackhead staring at us through the window, or when she was screeching while standing on the bed while I was armed with a broom, trying to shoo a rat out of the motel room. Not once, not twice, but three times.