Quotes
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Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty : How long you been in the pawn shop unit?
Det. Lester Freamon : Thirteen years and four months.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty : Thirteen years?
Det. Lester Freamon : And four months.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty : I gotta ask you, what exactly does a police officer assigned to the pawn shop unit do?
Det. Lester Freamon : You intake reports from registered pawn shops on all items valued over $50. Then you make an index card for that item. Then you file that index card. If someone wants to find out if something stolen has been pawned, we look to see if we have an index card. If we do, we do. If we don't, we don't.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty : You did that for thirteen years?
Det. Lester Freamon : And four months.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty : Why'd you ask out of homicide?
Det. Lester Freamon : Wasn't no "ask" about it.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty : You got the boot?
Det. Lester Freamon : Uh-huh.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty : What'd you do to piss 'em off?
Det. Lester Freamon : Police work.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty : I think I need to buy you a drink.
Det. Lester Freamon : Just one?
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Det. Lester Freamon : Caught this case in the Brooklyn Homes, summer of '87. 80-year-old woman. Stabbed up, nightgown in bed, forced window, rear entry. Worked it for a couple of weeks, got the names of two squirrels over in Curtis Bay. Squirrel number one gives it up and tries to put all the weight on squirrel number two.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty : Back up the statements?
Det. Lester Freamon : Print hit on the rear window for number two, and another one for number one on the medicine chest.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty : So it's down, yeah?
Det. Lester Freamon : Mmm. Even better is when squirrel number one drives us by the house where they fenced the old lady's shit. Clock/radio, TV, toaster oven.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty : So what's the problem?
Det. Lester Freamon : The problem was the fence. Turned out he was the son of one of the big editors over at the News America. This man is runnin' the afternoon newspaper, and his son is gettin' all fucked up and doin' the dirt and gettin' high down on Locust Point. The deputy, who I guess is in a favor-doin' mood, sends word down to the major, I'm supposed to make the case without the fence. Just the print hits and the statement. Play it like that.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty : So he's doin this for what, have some newspaper guy in his pocket?
Det. Lester Freamon : I guess so.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty : [chuckles] Is this Burrell?
Det. Lester Freamon : No, no, Mueller. Deputy Ops before Burrell.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty : So what did you do?
Det. Lester Freamon : What do you think I did? I charged him with receivin', then had his ass testify.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty : Well, you coulda made the case without him. Just on the prints and the statement.
Det. Lester Freamon : Probably. Yep.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty : Why didn't you?
Det. Lester Freamon : Why?
[he gives McNulty a knowing look]
Det. Lester Freamon : Why are you fuckin' up yourself chasin' Avon Barksdale?
[McNulty smiles and takes a drink]
Det. Lester Freamon : A week after the trial ends, the major comes to me and asks me where I wanna go. I told him, I don't care, I like to be outside, you know? Gimme a goddamn foot post, I'll still make my money, you know? Send my ass up to Edmondson Avenue, I don't give a shit.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty : You went to a foot post?
Det. Lester Freamon : No, major come back and asked me where I *don't* wanna go. And he asked like he wanna make sure I land okay. So I tell him, I don't want no fuckin' paper-shufflin'. No office shit. Send my black ass outside and let me police somewhere.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty : [laughs] Pawn shop unit.
Det. Lester Freamon : Mm-hmm. They got me good, huh?
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty : So why'd they let you out of the box? Why now?
Det. Lester Freamon : I guess they just forgot about me.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty : [laughs] Shit, Lester. You're back from the dead. You rolled away the stone. Bunk Moreland says you're natural police. One of the few.
Det. Lester Freamon : [sighs] Yeah, I've had my moments. Detective... *when* they ask you where *you* wanna go - and they are gonna ask you where you wanna go - do yourself a favor. Keep your mouth shut.
