"See, to cap a motherfucker, you put a pistol to his head, say, "pow," and he tagged." " But when Chris and them do it " " Yo, it ain't working, Na'." " I know you making this up." " Word to my mother, yo." "Lex ain't dead." "I seen him creeping in an alley last night near the playground." "Everybody know Lex is dead." "Nah, there's dead, and there's special dead." "Yeah, Chris working that juju shit." "Nah, man, what I'm saying is they zombies." "Why you think he take them into vacants?" "He need time to change them." "You don't believe me, yo, it's on you." "Yo, they funnin', ain't they, Michael?" "I don't know about that voodoo shit, man, but Chris is definitely doing something -- get a nigger to walk up in there knowing he about to get capped, man." "Chris, he different." "You can tell by them coon-ass country clothes that nigger be wearing." "Nine?" "Nah, too much bark." "Probably a .40-cal." "Yeah, man, this is serious business." "So you saying Lex is a zombie?" "Pookie, Byron, all them niggers." " And Chris?" " Yeah, Chris " " Zombie Master." "I knew this wasn't going away." "That's what we've been trying to tell you, yo." "Chris got the power." "He tell them to come, and they gotta come -- like the devil do with the damned." "What you think Chris got them doing?" "They're probably spies, man." "Can't figure any other way Marlo knows so much." "Yeah, that's what it is." "Like in this movie, "Zombie Killer" or something." "They came out at night, hunting." " Hunting?" " Yeah, man." "They " "Yeah, and in that movie they was snatching people up, stealing their warmth." "St. Jude, patron of lost causes." "Tell me you ain't been on bended knee whispering in his saintly ear each and every night before you close those peepers." "I know you have, Tommy, catch a break like this." "Stan, you're sure about this?" "On my mother's soul." "It's a lock." "Assigned a rookie -- a broad, no less -- as lead detective." "Pulled a good man off, too, I heard." "Hmm." "Tom." "Tommy, remember -- anything you need." "He's a piece of work." "Valchek?" "Comes with the territory." "You want the First District council seat, you make nice with whatever Polish or Greek commander" " They dump in the southeast." " Not Italian." "No, there ain't enough of us left down there." " You think he has this right?" " That Royce tampered with the case?" "No way the mayor knows." "You're right." "This one has Ervin Burrell written all over it." "Fuck if the mayor knows or not." "If it's true, we get it out there quick and bang him hard." " I go public?" " They can't spin this." "They sabotaged a criminal case." "No spin on a knuckleball, you still can't tell how it's gonna break." "We feed it to Tony Gray." "We keep ourselves out of the line of fire, sting Royce, and as an added bonus, give Gray's campaign a boost which comes at the expense of the mayor's base." "I'm a devious motherfucker once I get going." "So all told, we're looking at 13 warrants and six locations." "And given my staffing situation..." "Not a problem." "I can give you my D.E.U., Flex, and Ops squads." " A sector of uniforms if you need it." " Great." "The problem is, you're wasting a wiretap on street-level arrests." "We do these raids right, we might catch Marlo or one of his lieutenants at one of these locations," " Get them with dope on the table." " Marlo Stanfield -- in a room, with dope on the table?" "I've kicked down doors and surprised bigger players than him." "Well, let me warn you, Lieutenant " "I am not about to litigate a wiretap for a handful of street rips." "Well... that's on you, Counselor." "No, it's not." "Major, see you tomorrow." "Floaters -- you had any more?" " No more than usual for the season." " What about decomps?" "What do you got in the decomp room?" " Two or three unidentifieds." " Found in Baltimore?" "No." "Actually, two from Prince George's," " One from Dorchester." " Nah, he wouldn't drive that far." "Let me get this straight:" "You're looking for extra bodies, no one in particular, other than this one kid you already put out on the teletype." "Yeah." "You on it." "You fellas don't have enough work?" "If you do your classwork, homework, you earn stickers." "Dag, yo, every day you be changing it up." "You got us confused, Mr. P." "Behave in class, that's another sticker." "At the end of the week, the four with the most stickers get a prize and are eligible for a grand drawing at the end of the month." "Don't do your work, misbehave in class your name goes here." "Detention -- a full hour after school, no exceptions." "So it's up to you -- stickers for prizes or stay with me after school." "Yo, Mr. P., why you do me detention, huh?" "You interrupted the class, Namond." "Yo, when you first came in here, you was all treating us straight up, and now you just dog me before I even know the rules." "That ain't right, man." "When you're right, Namond, you're right." "Hey, Mr. P., I want me some of them stickers." "Zenobia, you have to do your work." "I want to, but I ain't got no pencils." "I don't want no damn welfare pencil!" "It seems to me there are two kinds of kids walking in this building -- stoop kids and corner kids." " Excuse me?" " You know, stoop kids stay on their front steps when their parents tell them." "The others go down to the corners." "They can't sit still in the class." "The others can and do." " So separate the two." " That's tracking." " Excuse me?" " Tracking students." "It's a nasty phrase in educational circles." "It refers to the grouping of children based on expected performance." " What's wrong with it?" " It says you have reduced expectations for certain students, that you expect less from them academically." "So you pretend to teach all these kids, and the truth is, you ain't teaching any of them." "But what if the stoop kids could be in classrooms where there was no disruptions?" " And the corner kids?" " They're the ones you're after, right?" "That's why you got the grant money." "As long as this doesn't involve warehousing children," "I'm for anything that allows me to do my job." "Every teacher here will tell you the same." "The trick for you is to come up with a program that actually addresses itself to the corner kids." "We start pulling kids out of regular classes -- won't they be stigmatized?" "There's not a stigma in being booted out of class every other day?" "Question is, how do we identify the corner kids?" "That won't be a problem." "Okay." "Okay." "You understand the work?" "Come on, this is easy." "I know you can do it." "You're not giving me a choice." "You have detention." "Yo, Na', Mrs. D. shaking bushes." "Back to your seats." "What the fuck?" "She got my blade, yo." "I said, "Back to your seats."" "Yo, Mrs. D. be stealing shit." "I ain't never gonna get my blade back." "Yo, what are you all up on me for?" "I do my work." "I'm not your yo." "Show me your work." "Yeah, I see." "Yo, my hand hurting from all this learning." "You got some Tylenol?" "What I got for you is detention." "Oh-hh!" " You know what?" "Fuck you, Prezbo." " Oh-hh!" "Fucking gimpy-assed, big-grill motherfucker." "That's it." "You're out of here!" "Go!" "Get your police stick out your desk and beat me." " You know you fucking want to." " Oh-hh." "Everyone, back in your seat." "The fuck you looking at, bitch?" "Oh-hh, Ms. Sampson, I " "Namond Brice, if you weren't headed to the main office," " You are now." " Yeah, I was just " "One of the corner kids, huh?" "Yeah, they do step up when you need them, don't they?" "Look, what?" "You want me to say you right?" "You right." "I should have had protection at the card game." "Done is done." "Now we need to decide what we're gonna do about Omar." "You make the price right, somebody gonna get a whiff of that bushwhacker's ass." "Now you take it from there." "You think so?" "I ain't saying Omar can't be got." "Any nigger can be got." "But once we put word to ear and he learn that we pricing out his head, he's gonna be trying us like we're trying him." " You saying I should let it slide?" " Nah." "Nah, we get at him another way, get at him without no bounties, no bullshit like that." "Barksdale turned this town upside down hunting him, and all he ended up looking was weak." "I ain't no Barksdale." "I'm just saying talk is cheap." "We sit on it, we gonna figure out a way to get that faggot." "But till then we don't say a mumbling word." "I got me six now, and I'll give you the four later, all right?" "Come on!" " Nah." "I'm gonna need the whole 10 now." " Sherrod!" " You ain't in school?" " I'm half a day -- teachers' meeting." "Come on, I told you about those lame excuses, man." " I was talking to him first." " Ain't no need for physical contact " "You got $4 for me?" "I'm short $4." "What the fuck are you talking " "Got a cart full of shit, nigger." "What you got for me?" "I know you holding." "Where's it at?" "You ain't hear?" "Okay." "It's in my shoe -- my shoe." "Don't need the four now, son." "Damn, yo, where the shovel at?" "Bury that nigger, man." "Here you go, sir, thank you." " Tommy Carcetti, running for mayor." " Good luck, Tommy." " Hey, Mr. Carcetti, you got my vote." " Thanks." " Tom Carcetti." " Hey, thank you very much." " Here you go." " Good luck, Councilman." "How you doing?" "Tommy Carcetti, running for mayor." "Okay, Councilman, time to hit the West Side." "Pretty motherfucker -- he's gonna make me go to my game face." "Okay, I'll take 25 of the honeysuckle incense cones -- they'll keep me healthy for next week." " Tommy!" " Excuse me." "Tony Gray's people say 20 minutes at their place." "Shit, Clarence." "Look like you did in '98 when you surprised the hell out of everyone." "Just bring 'em on." "Why give it to us?" "Why don't you stick it to Royce yourself?" "Because after what Tommy did at the debate, it'll seem like more of the same if it comes from him." "And if we use it to take four or five points out of Royce's base, it helps him as much as us." "Once bitten, twice shy." "With Tommy Carcetti, I got to always think a step ahead." "Look, Tony, you ain't gonna win." "So the only question is whether you wanna lose with 24% of the vote or 28%." "You bring the numbers up, you look good for the legislature -- maybe a congressional run." " Albert Stokes." " Here." "Mr. P., can I go?" "My moms told me to go straight home after school." "Mine too." "You should have thought of that before you smeared ink all over my desk." "Weren't my fault." "My pen exploded." "Michael." "Michael Lee?" "Mr. P., please, can I go?" "I ain't eat no lunch, and my stomach making all these noises." "Look, I won't ever disrespect your pencil again, I promise." "Zenobia, it wasn't about the pencil." "Please, Mr. P." " Okay okay, all right." " All right." "Just this one time, I'll make an exception." "But next time, expect to stay the full hour." " Why are you here?" " Came to say sorry." "I didn't mean to get all up in your face like that." "I appreciate that, Namond." "It takes courage to admit when you're wrong." "What I can't understand " " I've seen you in Ms. Sampson's class doing your work." " Why can't you do the same in here?" " I mean to, I do." "It's just the evil get in me and before I know it, I go off." "Well... tomorrow we'll see if we can do better." "Can't tomorrow." "Mrs. D. put me out." "I gotta bump." "Later, Mr. P." "If you can wait outside..." "It's okay." "He can stay." "Thank you." "Mr. P., you know Michael can't make it to detention." "I know he didn't." "Now it's doubled." " He's got two days to serve." " Nah, I mean, he can't." "He got to go pick up his little brother from school." "Well, he'll just have to find somebody else to do that." "It -- it ain't like that." "I mean, Michael would come if he could, but wouldn't have nobody else to pick up his little brother Bug." "You know, his mother, she on that stuff." "We walking home." "You coming?" "Oh, no, I'm waiting on Alpo." "Ms. Sampson got him doing detention." " You gonna be here till, like, 5:00." " Yeah, she a hard lady." "She don't ever give a brother no play." " All right." "I'll holla at you later." " All right, yo." "So you're not gonna be in the NBA?" "Then it must be the NFL?" "I thought all the boys in class were gonna join the pros." "Nah, that's just something we say." "So what about you?" "What do you wanna be when you grow up?" "I'm gonna own my own store." "That's smart." "You're gonna need to know a lot of math." "You left them in there." " Oh-hh." " Hey, don't worry, Mr. P." "We got you." "Hey, Donut!" " Yo, yeah." " Donut's crazy with cars." "He can open anything." " Hey." "What up, man?" " Hey." "Yo, he locked his keys in there." "It's okay, I can call AAA." "Oh, no problem, chief." "Feel the need to work them corners, huh?" "I'm just asking 'cause you don't need to be doing what you're doing." "I need to learn some shit on my own." "I'm trying to help you, Sherrod, but you making it so I can't." "I didn't even know the man who beat on you, Bubs." "He was short money on the corner." "I swear he wasn't nothing to me." "Yeah, but when the shit start, there's nothing to be done, right?" "What would I have done if he started whaling on you?" "Same kind of nothing, see?" "That's how the corners be." "They going to use you up, Sherrod." "You welcome to stay tonight, but you ain't in school tomorrow morning, this partnership need to be done." "These two precincts are the bellwether for the Fifth." "If you can take even 18% out of Carcetti in these, it's a good guess he won't have the numbers citywide." "And who are we ticketed with over here?" "The N.D.O., I hope, because this amid allegations that high-ranking police officials intervened to have a veteran police detective removed from the controversial case." "The Braddock murder became a focal point in the mayoral campaign when Councilman Thomas Carcetti alleged the West Baltimore man was killed because he was a witness in the case." "...Because they were afraid the police would prove what they most fear, that Fredro Braddock was murdered because he was a witness, and the city failed to protect him." "It's on all three channels." "And "The Sun" and "The Post" are both calling for comment." "And my sources within the department say the rank-and-file officers are simply appalled by this blatant political manipulation." "Damn, turn it up." "Hey, Greggs, you're famous." "...is to remove a highly-decorated veteran with 15 years' experience as a murder investigator without reason..." " That'd be me." " Then replaced with a rookie who has yet to handle a single homicide investigation..." " That'd be you." " ...then we need to rethink..." " The fuck I ever do to him?" "You gonna make it too heavy, yo." "It might work if we make it bigger." "It would work if we had balsa wood, you know?" " It's really light and strong." " Man, you so full of -- oh, shit." "Zombie Master." "Need to take us a little walk." "Nah, I'm good here." "Yo." "Young'uns need to move along." "Sure, Chris, we'll bump." " Yo, Snoop, your sister in my class." " What the fuck?" "You high or something, nigger?" "You boys be smoking that shit?" "Hearing good things about you." "Say you straight up, take care of your people, not begging no handouts." "Motherfucker, you hear the nigger talking to you, giving you praises and shit." "You standing here looking fucking stupid." "Yo, chill." "Sometimes she get a little hot." "I'm just saying the boy ain't right!" "Yo, we always in the market for a good soldier." "When we see one we like, we take care of the situation -- take him in, school him, make him family." "And if you're with us, you're with us, just like we'd be with you all the way." "You have a mind, you're in." "Look, man." "I already got a family -- my moms and my little brother." "Yeah, heard that." "But think on it." "We'll be around if you need something." "He saw me, yo." "I knew it." "I knew Chris was asking Michael about me." "I knew it, man." "I'm dead." " Yo, man, good looking out." " Yeah." " I thought they was gonna " " Yeah, I know, I know." "What-what he ask about me?" "I know he asked about me." " What'd you say?" "What'd you tell him?" " Calm down," " It weren't even about you." " Yo, for real, you need to tell me." "What did he ask you?" "Yo, you right, man." "Chris was all up in your business." "He down on you for some deep shit, man." "I don't even know what." "Nah, I'm just fucking with you, man." "He didn't even speak your name." "Oh, man." "So, Erv, what's next?" "Your officers gonna shoot a couple of tourists?" "Maybe fly a helicopter into Harbor Place?" "What can we expect the last week of my re-election campaign?" "Sir, I did what you asked -- no more, no less." "Hamsterdam -- legalized drug zone?" "Oh, he takes responsibility for that." " The subpoenas all over town." " That, too." "Well, then the leak about the witness murder." "That was his shop too, right?" " Hell, yeah." " And now this last thing, transferring detectives off the case -- what is that?" "What is that?" " Scuttling the investigation." " Yeah, right." " Yeah, that's awful " " Jesus!" " Mr. Mayor, you asked me" " To slow that investigation down." " Mm-mmm, mm-mmm." "Subtle, Ervin." "Hmm?" "You hold a few facts for a few weeks." "You put a report or two in a desk drawer." "But the transferring of people off a case?" "!" "Look, you told me... you specifically wanted me to not " "Ervin, you may leave." " Mr. Mayor " " That will be all, Commissioner." "Nuh-uh." "No, I need a word or two with your deputy, Ervin." "Have a seat." "I tried to warn him." "I mean, if it leaked out of Homicide about the dead witness, why wouldn't it leak that we bumped a detective?" "Why didn't you come to us beforehand?" "I'm a loyal subordinate, Mr. Mayor, and Ervin is a good man working under considerable pressure." "He's a hack." "You're not bothered by the pressure, Deputy?" "Not in the least." "I need you to make this go away, Bill." "I won't forget, believe me." "Another thing " " Slim Charles got up with me." "Said the fat man want a sitdown." "Nah." "I did that already." "Well, Slim say the fat man knew the card game was gonna get took." "He did, did he?" "Set it up." "Why you always be back here?" "Quiet." "And I can see what comes." "But you out in the weather and shit." " I don't like to speak in no rooms." " Yeah." "Yo, oh-oh, you ain't staying long." "So you know, I almost got that for you." "I just need a couple of days more." "You can keep my money for now." " I got something that needs doing." " Anything, Marlo -- your call." "Omar gonna come in your store, stick it up, rob you." "You gonna call the police, make a report." "You feel me?" "Yeah, that'll work, but, uh, you know when he get out, he's coming right at me, I ain't scared or nothing." " I'm just saying, you know?" " He ain't gonna get out." "A man make bail on robbery." "Make it no bail." "If you have a problem, like you can't make it to detention, you need to tell me." "That's your responsibility." "People will be more than willing to help you out, but it's up to you to ask." "You can go back to the cafeteria... or hang up here." "Duquan, could you come here?" "I thought maybe you could help me out -- I packed too much." "Take this down to the cafeteria and get yourself something to drink from the machine." "Thank you." "Crystal, you got a second?" "What's up with Duquan?" "I gave him some new clothes." "I was expecting " "He might have lost them." "That fast?" "It weren't that." "His people take his clothes, sell it on the corners." " You're kidding." " No, sir." "Everybody knows." "Which brings me to what we're proposing -- different kids, different approaches." "You tell us who we need to touch at North Avenue to get the go-ahead." "The "Puzzle Palace"?" "Look, if y'all still wanna jump in and help, I'm fine with it." "That's about all the okay you need in my house." "The Stricker Street situation is waiting in the office." "Neighborhood squabbles, and my babies bring it in here." "Two fights yesterday -- all because the mothers can't get along." "I gotta go." "Mrs. Donnelly will work out the nuts and bolts." "But just so you hear it, thank you." "It'll be the only time anyone in this system will think to say it." "He's a good man." "You need to protect him." " Protect him?" " Principal Withers just went out on a limb for you, and in this system they know how to handle a chainsaw." "Excuse me?" "Anyone has a problem with what we're doing, it's on him." "So you specified eighth-graders?" "We have 256 on roll." "241 attend on a regular basis." "Of those, 40 or so would fit your bill of corner kids." "40?" "Pretty workable." "Ahem." " What would you suggest?" " Start with 10 or so." "Ms. Sampson has enough to get you going." " One of them named Namond Brice?" " Pick of the litter." "But you'll have to wait." "He's on a three-day suspension." "Tilghman Middle School." "Can I help you?" "Remember when I was a cadet, I was up here on a cadaver search." "Instructor gets on the radio to say," ""We're looking for one body in particular." "If you go grabbing everyone you see, we'll be here all day," he says." "Leakin Park... where West Baltimore brings out its dead." "Not anymore, from the look of things." "Not by the roadside, anyway." "If he's dumping them here, he's dumping them deep in the woods." "Come on." "At each raid site, we're anticipating dope or cash or guns." "All warrants are for prime locations linked to high-level violators." "Weeks-old addresses linked to low-level corner boys." "We'll also be sweeping drug corners at these locations." "Wagons will hold in this location here." "Jump-off time -- 1,500 hours." "We take our position 10 minutes before the assault here." "The go is on my say-so." "Questions?" "Excellent." "We'll hold in the rec room till it's time to stage." "Warrants are one thing, but street sweeps on Marlo Stanfield's crews?" "Are you guys serious?" "Carv, you give these hoodleheads too much credit." "Trust me on this, Boy Wonder." "Never mind this horseshit." "So what've they got you doing for your man?" "Who, the lieutenant?" "No, Royce." "Herc, the mayor's your meal ticket." "He gets another four years, you're liable to wear the gold braid." "Shouldn't you be out waving a campaign sign or some shit?" "And so ends the last crusade of the Major Crimes Unit -- with a whimper." "Lester would cry to see his wiretap cannibalized for that crap." "Street sweeps on Marlo Stanfield?" " So what else you got cooking?" " Narcotics cases?" "C.I.D. has the Burman indictment coming in." "Nothing past that." "As wars go, this drug thing seems to rate less and less." "If Demper wins and manages to forgive my trespasses, maybe I'll go in and beg for something new." "I don't know." "Just feels like enough's enough." "Crutchfield, line two, Intake." " Sergeant, you were looking for me?" " I was, yeah." "Curly fry?" "Chicken doohickey?" "Sit down." "Norris is back on the Braddock case." "It's by order of the deputy ops." "In fact, we're gonna go with a story that says he was never off the case, that you and he are partnered, a task force of two, working it together." "Fuck you, fat man." "Not original, but succinct." "I like your approach." "Y'all humiliate me once by dropping me into this thing, and now you're gonna shame me again by bringing Norris back." "This is Homicide, Detective." "This is not some boiler room unit where no one pays attention to whatever the fuck it is you call police work." "The bosses?" "They know our names up here." "Now I didn't like it when they came to me and told me to dump Norris, but dump him I did." "And it's not like I wanna carry water for them now that they're pretending they never told me to do any such thing, but carry the water I will." "And in the end, when everyone else in this unit is buried and beshitted, this detective sergeant will still be standing." "So get the story straight:" "Norris was always the primary, and you are now assisting on an investigation which is progressing even as we speak." "Does the colonel know about this?" "He's in the hospital -- chemo didn't work." "Press conference is upstairs in half an hour." " So don't be late." " Press conference?" "Mm-hmm." "I ain't mean to laugh at you none." "I know it sound crazy, but I ain't joking." "For real, Lex a zombie." "I knew it way before what Na' and them was saying." "Listen, they had me tell Lex to go up to the playground." "I told him to go up there and see some girl." "He ain't never come back down." "So what they gonna do to me when they get mad at me?" "It makes sense Chris taking them into the vacants -- to change them." "And you know what else?" "That ain't what he doing " "Chris in the vacants." "Changing them?" "He ain't changing them, he killing them." "That's all." "They're getting killed." "How you know?" "Can't tell nobody." "I seen it." "I seen them walk a boy up into one house over there on Calhoun." "You seen that?" "Yeah." "That's just false." "Detective Norris has been working in this case nonstop." "And given her narcotics expertise," "Detective Greggs was assigned to augment rather than to replace him." "But for two days sources inside the department were saying " "I'm inside the department, and I'm telling you that's not true." "We do not play politics with a criminal investigation." "And how do you explain Councilman Gray's allegations?" "I think you should ask Councilman Gray that question." " Police!" "Search warrant!" " Take the back." " On the ground, now!" " Police!" "Search warrant!" "Two upstairs." " Don't move!" " Check that backroom." "I said, get your ass on the ground." " Get down!" " Get down!" " This is the 1300 block, right?" " No, this is the 12." "Are we on the right corner?" " We had this as a stash house?" " According to the wiretap." "How long ago?" "They move them around, you know." " Zeroes on the warrants." " Minor arrests" " On the designated corners, sir." " They were tipped!" " You think?" " For us to come up this empty at all these locations, it has to be." "This cocksucker Marlo thinks he's smarter than us?" "He is not." "Sergeant, I want to know where he hangs." "You mean like him personally?" "He moves around, Lieutenant." "He floats." "But I have seen him in the concrete park behind Fulton." " In a park?" " If the weather's right, he sits out there in some lawn chairs, holds court." "He's got people covering every approach so there's no creeping up on him." "My guess is that he likes to talk outdoors so no one can drop a microphone on him." "Sergeant, what can we do with that?" "I admit I've made some mistakes," "Burrell being one of the biggest." "But he's got a job for about 10 more days." "After the primary, he's gone, believe me." "And that last stunt -- pulling a detective." " What'd you expect?" " Not that -- huh-uh." "Hey, I had nothing to do with that nonsense." "Now, that's a straight-up lie." "I was at that damn meeting when you told him," " "Slow the case down."" " I didn't mean " "Who the hell knows what you mean anymore, Clarence?" "Look at this." "Look at it!" "You gave me your word on this -- your word, Clarence." "But here you are ticketed up with Eunetta in her best precincts and then ticketed up with my girl Daniels where she's running strong." "Odell, this is the first I've seen this." "Come on, now!" "This is probably Eunetta's people pulling this shit." "With a "Citizens for Royce" authority line?" "Eh, look at you, Clarence." "Just look at you." "You've forgotten your agenda." "You've forgotten your base." "You think a shave and some Marcus Garvey posters are gonna get you over?" "Do you think that's gonna make up for jumping in bed with every damn developer?" "Shit." "You're even on Clay Davis's tit." "Now don't you go getting all self-righteous with me, Odell." "Campaign runs on dollars -- you know it." "Whose dollars?" "!" "Those sons of bitches you got around your card table every month feeding your kitty?" "Oh, yeah," "I know about that too." "You -- trouble with you -- fuck you, Clarence." "I'm gonna sit what's left of this one out." " I'm gonna sit it out." " Sit it out." " The primary?" " Sit it out!" "Odell!" "Odell!" "Who the hell do you think you are, huh?" "Come November, I'm still gonna be the only game in town!" "Odell, turn your back on me now, I won't forget!" "We can't afford this." "We need his organization on Tuesday." " Go after him!" " Fuck that holier-than-thou motherfucker!" "Delegate Watkins." "Delegate Watkins!" "Wait, sir." "I-I'm sure we can work this out." "You and the mayor can talk this through." "Deputy Rawls, please." "It's Lieutenant Hoskins at the Hall." "You're gonna use the hole in the wall, right?" "Yeah, I'm gonna rub some dogshit on the front of this thing." "I don't want nobody touching it." "Got it?" "You need to raise it a bit." "Yeah, that's good." "Right there, that works." " Thought I heard something." " Rats." " How we doing?" " We need to go." "He ain't nothing but a skanky-ass bitch to begin with." "And besides, he ex-police." "So you know what that like." "I'm going to the ladies' room." "Bey, you need to talk to him." "Visiting hours end in 30 minutes." " Visiting hours..." " Yo, Daddy, don't even go there, with you all the time telling me how you dropped out in the sixth grade, went up on the corner with Avon and Stringer, earned cheese for the family, saying how it made you a man " "All right, all right." "You right." "Can't throw rocks." "But I'm just saying, you know how your mother be, with all the fussing." "Maybe you just need to slow it up." "You know what I'm saying?" "Yo, you heard how Marlo punked Bodie?" "Said he either got to work for him or give up his corner." "Don't you know?" "His sorry ass buckled." "Oh-hh, you'd have gone about it different?" "Yeah, I'd have stood tall, like you." "Got my nine -- fuck Chris and them." "Listen to you, all spit and fire." "You'd have gone to the mattress all by your lonesome and went up against half of the West side." "You got it where it counts, and I respect that more than anything." "But shit out there now ain't like it was when we was coming up." "Back in the day, a punk nigger like Marlo steps out, breaking the rules and shit, he find himself in the back of a car trunk on the way to Leakin Park." "No doubt." "We did that shit right." "Word was your bond." "Man looked out for his own, knowing he in a family." "Dig where I'm coming from?" "But today it's all fucked up." "These steps." " Thank you, baby." " You're good to go." "Say "Omar."" "Omar." "Nothing?" "We checked both sides of the street" " From here up to Monroe." " Nothing?" "Nothing that don't belong in no sewer." "Thanks." "Other ideas?" "Whoo!" "Blood, bump me off that nigger up the "skreet."" "Motherfucker in the "Bruick"?" "That be him." "I be saying, no motherfucker gonna run off with my "halron."" "Oh, this is fucking great." "Get somebody who reads lips, this motherfucker's history." "Is this legal " " I mean, intercepting what they're saying?" "Don't go Freamon on me." "Shit." "I got to run." "Hey, man, what about some fucking relief?" "I been here all morning!" "You heard?" "They making movies." "Yeah." "How you wanna play it?" "I ain't sure." "Let's see the fat man." "How'd the other thing turn out?" "All good." " Yo." " What up, boy?" " If you want some, I got Reeses." " Nah, man." "You trying to make some real cheese?" "$5?" " What you need?" " Me and Paul gonna get it on with Tiff." "Keep an eye out." "I don't want Mrs. D creeping up." "Feel me?" "I feel you, but I got some sixth-graders waiting on a special order." "Let them wait, man." "It ain't like we gonna be all day." "All right." "No, ma'am, it says right here -- His Honor had the Bureau of Solid Waste conduct a clean sweep along Tivoly." "But it took six months before they showed up." "Well yeah, okay, but nobody's perfect." "But hey, listen." "I wouldn't be sitting here if I didn't believe" "Clarence Royce wasn't truly committed to this city and its people." "What about the crime in our neighborhood?" "I admit that's another good point." "But, lady, between you and me, I can tell from your voice you're black and you can tell from my voice I'm white." "So I gotta ask you, when do you think the last time a white man voted for a black man when there was another white man in the race?" "I don't know, but you must really believe in him." "Well, ain't that what I been saying?" "He's just the best candidate." " So you'll go with my man?" " I'll think about it." "All right, that's great." "Thank you for your time." " Goodbye." " All right." " I have a hall pass." " Yeah, good for you." " Mine's down." " Attaboy." "You need bodies, Lester?" "Here you go." "We got a warrant and a teletype for my boy Lex." "So dead or alive, he's on file." "And beyond that, it's time for you to shine that mighty intellect of yours on some real murders, hmm?" "Give up the hypotheticals and shit." "Yeah, I suppose." "This is my issue -- crime, and I understand completely what you're saying." "And if you give me the opportunity, I will be able to do something to -- to help you out and, you know, other people in this neighborhood." "Mr. Ricks, thank you for your time" " And for your attention." " No problem." " Thank you." " Thank you." "Pretty brazen, shaking hands with the enemy in broad daylight." " Werner's Deli this isn't." " Definitely not." "Though here you are, Councilman, leaving no door unopened." "Shoe leather -- our secret weapon." "You surprised me." "You've made this a horse race." "So uh, what makes me think you didn't just happen by and find us here?" "Watkins is breaking with the mayor." "How do you know?" "I know." "I've carried the mayor's water because I had to, Councilman." "I'd love to see some new blood in this city." "And I'd love the chance to do the right thing for this police department for a change." "Wait until he turns the corner." "District office for Watkins " "Gilmore Street." "And fuck them red lights, man." "Not a place you expect to find any gangsters -- police, for that matter." " Heard you knew something I didn't." " Told you before " "I make it my business to keep an ear to the ground." "I make it my business to do business." "We doing business, or are we just talking?" "And if it's talk, I'ma walk." "I heard the people pulling security at the card game weren't too keen on their wages." "I figured it was only a matter of time before they found a way to get their due compensation." "And you didn't think to tell me?" "A man learns best when he get burned." "How do I know you ain't making this shit up?" "You don't." "Things happen on the street." "Proof is hard to come by." "Go ahead, open it." "Off the street, there's all kind of proof." "They planning on executing those Friday -- time it with the election, I guess, show they doing their job, cleaning up the city, taking down a kingpin." " How did you come by this?" " Told you before " "I keep my ear to the ground." " What are you gonna do with it?" " Maybe nothing." "Charlie's not part of the co-op." "Or maybe I tip him for a fee." "What do you think a man with a whole lot of money would pay for his freedom?" "You know, lately" "I come to find out someone trying to take pictures of me." "Pictures?" "Video." "You heard anything about me through your travels?" "Had no incentive to listen." "You do now." "It's one thing to sit out the primary." "It's another for me to turn on Clarence Royce." " Granted." " And if I did jump, why not land behind Tony Gray?" "At least he's from my side of the tracks." "Tony can't win." "I can." "Look, the truth is, whatever I can do for you, the mayor can match or double." "I have a pretty good grass-roots organization, but nothing even close to his kind of money." "Now, I'll ticket up with anyone you want me to." "I know you want Daniels in the 11th and Stokes in the 10th." "I'll keep away from any tickets you think I might harm." "I know I'm not everyone's idea of a bargain on your side of town." " Hmm." " But right now, a week from the primary, the fact is, Royce and I both need you." "After the election, the equation changes for him but not for me." "I'm a white mayor in a majority-black city, and if I'm gonna do anything -- and, Delegate, I am so serious about fixing this city " "I'm gonna have to govern by consensus." "And if you support me, you will have a voice within my administration simply because I'm gonna need it." "Last poll that Clarence showed me, he was up by seven points." "Bullshit." "I'm within four." " You won't be needing that." " I know." " Here?" " Yeah, here." "Dag." "Yo, turn it off -- the bulb might have got too hot." "Or the battery's dying." "We should go back." " Yo, man, it stinks, man." " Ain't like it was." "See he ain't move." "Yeah." "Blood still stuck to his hair." " He dead?" " He dead." "Lex too?" "He dead." "They all is." "Feel better?" "Donut wrong, yo." "Ain't no special dead." "There's just dead."