"Fuck is he doing?" "Cops still parked right up the block." "What are we, invisible?" "Stupid fucking yos." "Nah, just fucking with him, man." "You want to wait for him to serve somebody?" "Fuck it." "They're dirty either way." "Hands on the wall, fuckers." " We ain't done nothing!" " Seriously." "I was just sitting in my chair reading a magazine." "Watching your crew work a ground stash, you mean?" "What the fuck?" "Asshole!" "Y'all taking a charge for this, you know that?" " You're a truant." " Today's Saturday." "Try Wednesday." "I'm past truancy, why y'all locking me up?" "Hey, Colicio." "Officer Colicchio, shitbird." "We need to block every lane here?" "Shut it down." "It's a police operation here." " Let's back these vehicles up." " Excuse me, officer." " I'm not telling you again." " Tony, calm down." "Officer, if you could just move your car forward just a little bit..." "We're the police!" "What are you doing?" "Let me go!" " Fuck!" " Problem?" "I spent all day trying to trace this $80,000 withdrawal from Clay's personal account, figuring it was dirty." "Turns out he's repaying a loan from his mother-in-law." " A loan?" " Yeah." "Has to be." "She gives him the same amount in 2002." "He uses it as a down payment on a property that he buys the same week." "See?" "He bought a weekend house down in Calvert County six years ago." "You pulled the loan application on the property?" "Just a second." "Here you go." "Got him." "The head shot." "What?" "If anyone is suggesting that I've broken chain of command, that I've gone behind your back, that I've lobbied against you in any way, they're lying." "I don't know who told the newspaper that, but they were lying." "Yeah." "Respectfully, sir, I don't know where this shit is coming from." "Sir... no one has spoken to me." "Not Carcetti, not anyone." "But if I'm approached, my answer will be to decline the position and say I serve at your pleasure." "Sir?" "Sir?" "Go with the Preakness piece or this one about the firefighter death?" " What are you interviewing for?" " Metro position, Virginia bureau." "Firefighter, I think." "Got to show something I wrote on deadline." " Burrell might get the ax today." " Who told you that?" "Desk sergeant in the eastern says it's all over the department." " Wish me luck." " Good luck." "Got a rumor that Burrell is gonna get fired today if not tomorrow." "Yeah?" " Work it." " What about Twigg?" "I mean, with his sources?" "I can't throw one at a guy on his last day." "No, you work it as best you can." "You are now my new senior cop reporter." "Unclaimed." "So far this year... 11." "13 if we add the two in the freezer I ain't I.D.'d yet." "Run it for no fixed address." "Jimmy, it'd help if I knew what the fuck you were looking for." "Where are we pulling most of the homeless from?" "With or without ODs?" "Numbers are way up since Fentanyl showed up." " Throw 'em in." "The more, the merrier." " All right." "Damn!" "They're all dead and no fixed address?" "Dropping like flies in the southern lately." "Lester, it's me." "Yeah, in the morgue." "Some 4 to 12, with a lot at midnight, and a lot of them in South Baltimore." "Yeah." "So who do we know working 12 to 8 in the southern?" "2300 at the district." "That'll work." "Jimmy, am I missing something here?" "How does this help you?" "Don't want none of that phony gangster shit." "He was old-school." "Funny, feel like I should know Butchie, but I can't place him." "Came up under Teensy." "Caught him a slug early." "Took his sight." "Dabbled now and then but kept it quiet as a puppy walking on cotton." "This here do just fine." "Have it say," ""Butchie." "Woe to them that call evil good, and good evil."" "Sign it, "Your true and loyal friend, Proposition Joe."" "You ain't thinking no kindly note gonna slow Omar coming at us." "It's how I feel." "He was a good man." " And Marlo?" " Marlo is Marlo, man." "He weren't the one that put me in this trick bag." "The motherfucker who snuggled up and whispered in Marlo's ear did that." "I know what you thinking, and I ain't making a move against no kin, not till I got more to go on than words." "And knowing my sister's son the way I do, if the boy got 50 grand in his pocket, it ain't gonna be long before it jump out and find itself in some salesman hand." "And that kind of goody, we know." "In the meantime, if Omar coming for any of us, he coming for me." "And out of respect for that man's skill set," "I'm gonna take myself out of the lineup after the meet tomorrow." "Till this shit sort itself out, Cheese gonna watch the shop." "You gonna watch Cheese." "Very clean." "Very nice." "But, this is unnecessary." "It was not our intent to mislead." "When I spoke before, about the condition of your money," "I was talking... in symbols." "The money, it came from the street, and so I thought you came..." "from the street." "I did." "I do." "It was not the money that concerned me." "You have been more than generous, and this is a gift of an honorable man, clearly." "But, in accepting such a gift, we would give you the wrong impression." "You come from the street?" "The street... doesn't concern us." "We know a man here, and we trust him." "But... to know more people, to learn more names, to have them learn our names..." "I'm not here to badmouth Prop Joe but people depend on me." "Now, last year, there was a robbery." "I'm saying, you know, what if this happens again?" " Where do that put my people?" " That's for you to discuss with Joe." "All I'm asking for is an insurance policy." "You know, something covers me and covers you." "And covers Joe." "The young man makes a point." "You're right." "These are volatile times." "It is not unreasonable to carry insurance." "Who can say what tomorrow will show us?" "You go." "Be safe." "Your case." "Oh, y'all came a ways." "Put it to expenses." "If we were to tell him no, he will still come back." "This he shows us." "But he is not Joe." "He is not Joe." "If I follow this, the senator's mother-in-law gave him $80,000 that he used as a down payment on some property." "Later, he paid the money back, which makes it a loan." "Which falsifies the loan application." "The moment he signs the application, he's exposed." "Title 18 of the U.S. Code, chapter 47, section 10-14," "Loan And Credit Applications." "30 years and not to exceed $1 million." "The U.S. Attorney's office, call it "the head shot."" "30 years for something that every college kid does with a starter home." "Daddy loans you money to qualify;" "a couple years later, you pay him back." "30 years." "With leverage like that, this case needs to go federal." "Outstanding work, Detective." "Let me have some time to digest this." "Counselor, a moment?" "Is there another way to go at this?" "How strong are our theft counts?" "Straightforward document cases, four counts." "He stole from his own charities." "We convict, that's ten years per count." "Nothing to sneeze at, even without the bank charge." "You think it might be OK for me to sit in on one of your budget meetings?" "On our good days." "Ed?" "This is Scott Templeton." "Scott, good to meet you." "Have a seat." "Give me a sec." "Next mouth needs fed is the Right Reverend Isaac Cason." "Christ!" "All's I'm trying to do is dump Burrell." "You want us to swallow Rawls, you'd better grease that morsel up good." "Rawls for 6 months, then Daniels." "What, Daniels isn't black enough for you guys?" "They don't know him." "They know Burrell, and they could phone when they needed." "Burrell came in here with bad stats." "He lied to my face." "Rawls lied, too, but you're making him acting commissioner." "Only till Daniels gets groomed." "We can't fire everyone all at once." " This isn't getting us anywhere." " Only two more left." "Fine." "How can I be of assistance to the good Reverend Cason?" "He has property he wants to convert to senior housing." "Can we accommodate him?" "We're broke, but we could steer some Hud money his way." "That leaves Reverend Myrtle Smith." "She wants to extend parking to a vacant lot next to her church." " It's city property." " That's it?" " The last is the least." " A long-term lease, dollar a year." "Then there's the matter of Mcculloh Homes." "The same Mcculloh Homes that's adjacent to Andy Krawczyk's $300 million expansion" " of the state office complex." " Over 500 units." "Public housing." "You'll need that Hope VI money for that." " Is there any Hope VI money?" " It doesn't matter." "All madam president wants from us is the green light." "You want him gone, right?" "It's good stuff." "Some of your feature work is a little wrought for what we do here language-wise, but it all shows initiative." "That's the style they want from me but to tell you the truth, I prefer to write it dry." " You've been in Baltimore long?" " Two years." "Before that, I was at the Kansas City Star for three years," "Wichita Eagle before that." " The Sun's a fine paper." " Before the cutbacks, maybe." "Well, they still beat us often enough in Annapolis for my Maryland desk to take them seriously." "You have anything to do with those ground rent stories last year?" "It's good stuff, real good stuff." "You wanted to go to the page one meeting, right?" "Another time, maybe." "Anyway, as he says, we'll keep the résumé on file." "A few more clips, a little more seasoning, we'll take another look, OK?" "You can just toss that." "That's the plan - let him cut his teeth as deputy for operations, and in six months, make him." "He's not the spic-and-span boy they think he is." "He came up in the eastern district, part of a bad drug unit that was skimming seized drug money." "I had the feds..." "This isn't about Daniels." "You came in with bad stats." "For the mayor, that was the last straw." "My numbers were clean, they had gone through staff review." "You tell Carcetti..." "Ervin, it doesn't matter now." "You're done." "Carcetti has moved on you." "You tell him if he does me like this, I'll do Daniels." "Kill Daniels, and we end up with Bill Rawls as police commissioner." "The ministers, the caucus, the council - they'll live with Daniels." "Why?" "Because Carcetti gave away the store just to push you out." "30 pieces of silver each, huh?" "We'll have your back." "I promise you." "Full pension and a job on the mayor's criminal justice coordinating council, and from there, something down in Washington with one of the police associations - six figures guaranteed." "Go the right way, and attention will be paid." "But you go kicking and screaming, and no one - not the caucus, not the ministers, not me " "will be there for you." "Your choice." "Press conference tomorrow." "You play out the string." "Carcetti will do the same." "Attention - all unauthorized vehicles parked on the loading dock are now being towed." " No one's saying anything?" " I thought you might be able to help." "Not even off the record?" "He told you." "E-dot deadline's creeping up." "Where are we at?" "One source at the courthouse says it's true, he heard it at the hall." "The mayor's office isn't saying anything, but there's a press conference tomorrow." " What about headquarters?" " Daniels had no comment," " and Rawls won't return my calls." " Fuck." "Where the hell is Templeton?" "He could be throwing calls, too." "My last gift to you, Gus." "Stan?" "It's Twigg, and I'm on a deadline, so cut the bullshit." "Don't tell me they're firing the police commissioner and you don't know." "Don't fucking tell me that." "Lucky I signed off on your ass, or you'd be on your way out to boys' village." "And look how you do me." "Not coming around, not letting me see Bug." "Is that how you pay back a mother?" " How should I pay you back?" " By showing a little respect." "That all?" "Truth is, things have been rough around the way." "With you doing so good, thought maybe you'd throw some ends my way." "Seeing as how I was here for you." "I ain't paying you to be my mother." "The pros from downtown are here." "What can I do for you gents?" "You got a copy of the shift roster?" " Didn't Oscar get a Realtor's license?" " That would be his day job." "My favorite side partner from my salad days in patrol." "Thank you." "Hard to imagine you in patrol." " Damn, if I can find it." " That's why they call it a hole." "That there is the sickest idea yet." "You know that?" "I'm just gilding your lily, son." "There." "Right there." "Go away!" "I'm on my lunch break." "Excuse me, officer." "Is this the on-ramp to 95?" "Socks." "I'll be fucked." "This is my partner, Jimmy McNulty." "You look like a man in the market for a new house." "Think about it." "It's a buyer's market." "Nice garden." "You have an eye for quality, Socks." "Call me if you decide to move." " So this isn't a social call?" " I wish it were." "Well, get on with it." "I got a busy day tomorrow, I need my rest." "Oscar, we're in need of a body - male, homeless, little or no decomp." "Unattended death?" "That shouldn't be no problem, seeing as you homicide." "We need to get to it before anybody else sees." "You want to open an H-file?" "Well, that's got to be a first." "How do I reach you?" "All right." "You want to know why?" "Is that it?" " If he backs up on us..." " McQuayle was in homicide." "He caught one - a botched kidnapping." "He gets there, finds the area chief sightseeing his scene, asks him to back off, cites the G.O." "G-3, "Authority and responsibility to coordinate the investigation" ""shall rest with the homicide detective."" "Area chief takes umbrage." "Oscar stands his ground, and there's quite a dust-up." "The next morning, he's told he's insubordinate." "He's got to work two weeks extra duty pounding pavement." "He told them to go fuck themselves, he'll take the trial board." "Well, he eats two weeks, and they shitcan him out the unit." "Area chief?" "Name of Rawls, as I remember it." "How you still alive, yo?" "They needed to send a message." "Tell him." "Said, "Tell Omar he put his hand in the wrong pocket."" "You need to know, Marlo dogs, they didn't let Butchie go easy." "I'm gonna work them." "Sweet Jesus, I'm gonna work them." " I want in." " Nah, this one on me, yo." "But you don't know them people." "As expected, it's Rawls, with Daniels waiting in the wings." "Did they not know that I made myself a candidate?" " I feel dissed." " So Rawls finally has his day." "Not much more than a day it shall be." " Daniels by year's end." " Look at this." " You're not even gonna read it?" " All you do is change the date." " I'm covering my ass, Jay." " Consider it covered." "Motherfucker, I am the primary on 22 bodies more than a year old, and I still haven't got trace analysis on 14 scenes." "The lab can't keep up with this year's cases." "You want action, show me some traction." "Or buy yourself a chemistry set." "Just doing background on my vics, looking for a common thread." "Motherfucker, don't even..." "Fuck you, too, motherfucker." "What's wrong with Bunk?" "Hard to say." "Beneath that gruff veneer, he's actually very emotional." "Looking for the theme in your homeless case?" "Well, wish me luck." "I'm gonna try for an interview with my only wit." "The home invasion?" "Fuck him, Tony, the guy was an asshole." "You know who you were beating on yesterday?" "You fucking know?" "A teacher, from Stuart Hill Elementary, trying to get around our bullshit to an after-school program." " He should have said so." " He never got a chance." "Boy, I seen some stupid shit in my day, but even by western standards, this rates a whole new category." "I. I.D. Is talking to the major." "They're gonna be looking for statements in 10 minutes." "Tony, you got to write this smart." "The excessive horn blowing distracted you from securing juvenile prisoners who... became volatile due to the noise, and you warned the driver several times..." "Fuck that motherfucker." " Say what?" " I said, fuck him." "Shitbird lays on his horn." "Fuck his ignorant ass." "Admin lieutenant to the major's office." "Tony, I'm writing you up." "Excessive force, conduct unbecoming." " You ain't gonna back me?" " I'm charging you." "You charge me, you're a fucking rat." "Then I'm a rat." "No." "After what I've been through to toss him out of the plane, now you want me to pretty up his parachute?" "The commissioner served this city for 34 years." "Any five of which would be enough to have him indicted." "You should have thought about this before you put a gun to my head and snatched up the Mcculloh Homes for whatever developer you're hiding." "This isn't about me, and it isn't even about Burrell." "It's about Daniels or whoever else you want in that department." " How so?" " 34 years is a long time." "Anyone around that long can put his hands on a lot of dirt." "If they talk..." " Daniels?" " I'm not being specific here." "I'm just making it clear for everyone's sake it would be better if Burrell went quietly." "We've scheduled a press conference for this afternoon." "I think Ervin is ready for a little grip and grin." "With you, with Rawls..." "For considerations, he might even put his arm around Daniels." "Money from a donor to West Side Hoops." "Deposit date." "Withdrawal from that account to his personal account." "Again... money from a donor." "Thank you for coming, senator." "We've asked you in to answer questions regarding certain financial irregularities." "We can go to my office and talk first or get right to it." "Lead on." "If you'll follow me, then." "He's pretty cool about it." "The coming out tells the tale." "Devon?" "Do you know this story?" "Or would you like me to read it to you?" "Devon?" "Devon?" "Now, then, I show you a canceled check dated 22 January, 2007, from Sterner, Ernst, and Bauer Development Group made payable to West Baltimore Hoops Incorporated in the amount of $11,000." "And this dated 23 January, 2007, a check drawn on the West Baltimore Hoops Incorporated account in the amount of $11,000." "And a deposit slip dated 23 January, same year, to your personal account in the amount of $11,000." "I come here to help, but y'all out for blood." "I'm not answering no more questions." "You are invoking your right against self-incrimination, sir?" " Damn right." " Then we'll conclude this testimony." "Damn." "And that was just a love tap." "Imagine if we hit the good senator with the whole shebang." "Quick on the fifth, huh?" "Why did we even grand jury, then?" "The answer to that, detective, is out on Calvert Street." "Senator, we'd like to talk to you." "Senator, please, over here." "Senator, would you care to make a statement?" " Senator, please, senator!" " Over here, senator." "Did you appear before the grand jury?" "Jane, I insisted that I be called." "Senator, aren't you the target of an investigation into theft and fraud?" "No, pardon, no." "Some people are confused about some things." "But that's why I came here, to set them straight." "Happy to do it, too." "Happy to avail myself of the..." "Grand jury's supposed to be secret." "Who called the reporters?" "Mr. Bond, our state's attorney..." "Laying claim to the senator before anybody else can." "There just seemed to be a little bit of a misunderstanding about my dealings here in the community." "Yo, as soon as this newspaper stink get off my ass," "I'm-a unload my club and clear a mil." "I'm gonna snatch up every vacant I can get my fingers on." "There you go." "Like a real player." "It's a whole new world, man." "Buy some property." "Hold onto it till white people show up, you make a killing." "Milton's into that, except he got a deal with that bullshit prisoner entry program." " Got convicts fixing up his house." " Motherfuckers... shut the fuck up." "I'm sick of listening to your shit." "Have we got business?" "If we ain't, we gonna bounce." "Marlo here seems pressed for time." "So y'all can pick back up on this after the meeting." "Last up." "We got Hungry Man." "Junior here took it upon himself to make unlawful incursions into county territory marked for my people." "Incursions?" "Ain't you the articulate motherfucker?" "Keep talking, you gonna get spanked." "Like you got the heart." "Motherfucker piss like a bitch." "All right, shut it down." "Last I look, you wasn't no charter member." "I apologize." "My nephew gonna heed the boundaries, I assure you." "A'ight, meeting's adjourned." "What the fuck up in here?" " Just like I told you, right?" " Yeah." "I pulled some of it out, brought it back home." "I was..." "I was thinking... what next with this?" "You clear some time tomorrow, I'll open the door for you." "That work?" "Son... you need to focus a bit more on what can be gained by working with people." "That's just a thought, now." "Yeah." "Thanks." "Come to see a dead man walking?" "I hear Carcetti's gonna do right by you." "Salary with the coordinating council, then a D.C. Job." " You deserve it." " Sure, I deserve it, but not for doing the job." "What I got, they gave me for carrying their water all these years." "To Carcetti, I'm a hack." "Royce was no different." "Maybe I am." "But every day they send over a new priority." "Go after the bad guys." "No, change that." "Make quality-of-life cases." "Get on top of the murders." "On second thought, run the whores out of Patterson Park." "You think the mayor tells the schools how to teach kids, or the health department how to do its job, or sanitation how to pick up trash?" "But get elected, and suddenly, they know police work." "You might think it'll be different... when you sit here... but it won't." "You will eat their shit." "Daniels, too, when he gets here." "I wonder how you get the ladder to go up." "How do you do that?" "This is a wonderful fire truck." "I wonder where all the firemen are." "Think they could fit in here?" "I wonder what kind of siren sound this makes." "Cheryl, hey." "I was thinking I might want to swing by and see Elijah, you know?" "Yeah, I know it's been a while." "But..." "No, I can get off." "Yeah, tomorrow'd be fine." "Yeah." "Sure." "I'll be right back." " I'm sorry." "I just don't think..." " No, it's OK." "Right now, he's too withdrawn to revisit the event." "How do you come back from something like that?" "You look nervous, Deputy." "I swear I didn't ask for this." "Relax." "You once told me that if I was gonna do you, you'd be done already." "Remember?" "Shit, I don't even remember what was in that file." "Something about the eastern district." "So long ago, who can remember?" "I wanted to say a few words about public service and about Ervin H. Burrell." "During my time on the city council, Erv was no stranger to me." "I chaired the public safety subcommittee, and I called upon him many times." "We worked closely and when I became mayor, we formed a strong relationship..." "He feared and hated me, and I merely wanted him dead." "...making Baltimore a safer city." "Don't stray from the inner harbor." "The criminal justice coordinating council needs new leadership..." "It took a while, but I finally put his ass out to pasture." "If you would." "Thank you." "Plaques for hacks." "Prerogative of any big-city mayor." "How much of that insight and analysis can we get in tomorrow's story?" "Little to none." "Twigg could work the department sources, and they would shit all over a dog-and-pony show like that." "What about Price at the hall?" "Mayor's office set up the press conference." "They're not gonna tell the truth." "No, a veteran in the cop shop gets us over on a story like this, and fuck if we didn't buy ours out." "Gus, I understand that you're disappointed with the cutbacks, but civility is important." "I've been meaning to talk to you about your profanity." "My profanity?" "A collegial atmosphere is essential." "Collegial?" "I fucking failed out of journalism school." " What the fuck do "collegial" mean?" " Christ, we don't have this?" "Prosecutors would not comment on a possible grand jury investigation, but sources familiar with the case say the senator has been under investigation" " for more than a year." " Zorzi!" "Assistant state's attorney Rhonda Pearlman..." "Clay Davis was grand-juried today." "He's been under investigation for a year." "I'm a federal court reporter, remember?" "We haven't had daily city court coverage since Doug Strock took the buyout before last." " This isn't a federal probe?" " I would have had that." "This is city." "You want one reporter covering two courthouses, fine." "Why not shove the broom up my ass, and I'll sweep the floor while I'm at it." "All right." "Just get caught up, OK?" "See if you can get a quote from Davis." "Scott, chase a courthouse story with Zorzi." " What do you need?" " Find the state's attorney." "He set up Clay Davis outside the grand jury today." "Get hold of Bond, he'll catch us up on this shit." "Jesus." "Remember the good old days when nobody would stage a perp walk without calling a daily newspaper?" "Nowadays, all they care about is a goddamn video." " They've forgotten." " I don't know why we're doing this." "I can write a report like this in my sleep." "There's no way Jay checks what I'm doing." "Jimmy, a lot rides on this." "Work it like a real case, it'll feel like a real case, and more importantly, it'll read like a real case." "I was in the squad room today, all the case work laid out like I'm lost in a career case." " Landsman barely noticed." " We crank this up," "Landsman's not the only one who's gonna be thumbing through this H-file." "We get sloppy, we get cuffed." "What do you want me to do?" "What detectives do, detective." "Can I talk to you for a second?" "Maybe later." "I got to get ready for work." " Does your dog bite?" " Got teeth, don't he?" "Chip change, get your ass in here." "That's it." "I'm Detective McNulty, Homicide." "Can I ask you a few questions?" "Got a card?" "You got a card?" " Card?" " Business card, yeah." "This..." "That is a card." "No!" "We having fun yet?" "I need a drink." "I'm gonna ask you once, where Joe?" "Skip past the talking." "Do what you feel." "Joe ain't had nothing to do with..." "Now, Slim, you gonna make me hurt you, yo." "Ask yourself, dog, why would Joe give Butchie up?" "If Marlo could make him talk, he puts Joe inside your big score." "If Joe turned Butchie, I'd tell you." "Shit, I help you, even." "But it just ain't like that." "Come on, yo." "Finish it." "Take a look at the fifth graph." ""The mayor, comma, incensed by the commissioner's performance..."" " "Incensed" seems over the top." " I don't know." "Drug legalization fiasco, the bodies in the vacants, the bullshit stats." "I'd be incensed." "Jay, take a look at Arnold's fifth graph." "OK." ""Incensed" is to inflame with wrath." "It speaks to obsession." "Is this the mayor's state of mind?" "Something more nuanced, perhaps." "Galled, vexed, annoyed..." "Safer still... displeased." "You'd take the crab out of crab soup." "Hey, Scott, that was good work by you and Zorzi catching us up." " Great effort." " There's an "attaboy" for you." "How'd it go in Washington?" "Buyer's market out there." "Metro desk." "Baltimore Sun ain't so bad." "9-Adam-4-3." "43." "Reported D.O.A., alley in the rear of the old Compton plant." "Copy D.O.A." "9-46." "K-G-A," "Advise 43 I'm close by." "I'll handle it." "Copy, 9-Adam-46." "Bunk, are you feeling all right?" "She said "D.O.A.," not "doughnut."" "I know y'all into keeping things on the hush-hush tip, but, damn, Chris, this C. I.A. Shit off the hook." "I..." "I ain't done nothing lately to piss you off, right?" "Right?" "Man already shit hisself, and we ain't even get started yet." "He's funky, yo." "It's a gift from Marlo." "But you know how that go." "Give a gift, get a gift." "Yo, Hungry Man, what's up?" " Hello?" " Lester, you can turn around." " Bad call?" " Yeah, false alarm." "All right." "Won't work." "He's too far gone." "I find them, detective." "What you do after that is your business." "Thanks." "Maybe next time." "Seeing as how I'm doing you a favor, detective, you can write the first officer's report for me." "My sequence is A-1-15." "I know him." "Avon's lawyer." "Yeah, mine, too." "Brick uses him." "So does Phil Boy for most of his stuff, not just the criminal side." "Yeah, Levy excels in putting our limp-dick money to work." "You want to know what to do with them bank checks?" "This where you need to be." "Joseph, you're looking prosperous." "I get by." "Mr. Stanfield." "Joseph tells me good things about you." "You ever find that camera?" "Cost me the job." "So let's go into the conference room where we can spread out." "This between you and your attorney." "Carcetti finally dumps Burrell." "Ervin was a year before me at Dunbar." "No shit." "He was in the glee club." "You're killing me." "I got to ask." "Stone stupid." "Elijah?" "Say hi to Aunt Kima." "Anyways, you were right on time with this." "I got a dozen things to get done, and I got to do them while working overtime at the station." " Been busy, huh?" " Yeah." "Your boss got fired, and we've been running ever since." "Bye, Lij." "Go on." "We'll be fine." "Wow, that's good." "You staying inside the lines." "Hey, you want to do something?" "Go to the park?" "Get some ice cream?" "What did you say?" "You don't have a house?" "What's up with that?" "A hero needs a house." "Been a long time since I built a house." "Hope I remember how." "Deputy ops." "No, this is Daniels." "Cedric Daniels." "He's now in the commissioner's office." "Yes." "He knows he fucked up." "He knows this." "He's proud, you know?" "He doesn't want to beg." "It's not about that." "Come on, Carv." "You cannot do one of your own guys." "I mean, I know you got rank now, you're damn near lieutenant, but still..." "It ain't about the rank." "I never told you, Herc." "Never said a fucking word." "But when I gave you that kid to debrief last year?" "You were supposed to get him to Bunk Moreland." "Remember?" "Yeah." "I fucked up." "So what?" "So it mattered." "What the fuck does this have to do with Colicchio?" "It all matters." "I know we thought it didn't, but... it does." "So you got to do Colicchio, huh?" "Guess you think they had to do me." "Yeah, probably." "These guys are gonna talk shit about you for a while." "But fuck 'em, Carv." "You do what needs done." " I was out on one." " You worked 8 to 4." "I'm working a serial killer." "They call me on any suspicious death." "Yeah?" "Where'd they reach you?" "Well, I'm not gonna lie." "I... stopped, had a couple, then I got the call." "I know." "I can smell the Jameson's from here." "Jamie and Listerine, your scent." "Beadie..." "I'm just..." "We had something, Jimmy." "You and me, we had something." "When people told me stories about you, about how you were," "I couldn't believe it." "I couldn't see it." "Yeah." "Yeah. 10 minutes." "I got another one." "South Baltimore." " Beadie, I'm chasing a serial killer." " That's not all you're chasing." "Look, if you don't want to be here..." "I got to go." "He changed up." "Marlo's no fool." "He know you be coming at him." "Word is, him and Chris went to the mattresses, on the move almost every night." " Fool enough to kick a sleeping dog." " That should tell you something." "I got the boy waiting on me, I ain't go at him straight up." "I go after his people, you feel me?" "You hurt enough of them, that snake gonna stick his head above that hole." "That one there, you know him?" "He's a lieutenant." "We gonna go after him first." "Mark that ride, yo." "Oscar." " Lester." " Thank you, baby." " Anytime, man." " Yeah." "All right." "He's perfect." "Can't be dead more than a couple of hours." "Better lose these." "You're a twisted fuck, McNulty." "Defense wounds." "Help sell it." "You got nerve calling me twisted." "You came up with the teeth." "You know how these psycho serial motherfuckers are." "They mature." "They start simple and crude and become more and more ornate." "There you go." "Don't tell my mother or my priest you saw me do this." "Take it to my grave." " Want me to take that?" " Nah, I got it." "What you see in this hole, man?" "All the money you got?" "Your great-grandfather, first colored man to own his own house in Johnson Square." "That means something, Something you young'uns lost." "Yeah." "Well, we outside when you ready." "Keep sharp while I'm gone, boy." "Charles say Omar back." "He left Charles standing but he might feel less inclined if he get the drop on you or yours." "Ain't got to fret none about Omar." "No need for that." "You ain't come to see me off." "My nephew." "Boy was always a disappointment." "But I treated you like a son." "I wasn't made to play the son." "But my supply - the good dope?" "The Greeks, they cool with it." "Proposition, then " "I just step out the way." "You never hear from me again." "I just disappear." "Joe, you'd be up into mischief in no time." "Truth is, you wouldn't be able to change up any more than me." "Close your eyes." "It won't hurt none." "There, now." "Joe, relax." "Breathe easy."