Lester Freamon quotes from The Wire

Freamon

I don't wanna go to no dance unless I can rub some tit.

Freamon

We're building something, here, detective, we're building it from scratch. All the pieces matter.

Freamon

You follow drugs, you get drug addicts and drug dealers. But you start to follow the money, and you don't know where the fuck it's gonna take you.

Lester

[to "Non-English" speaking crewman] You cannot travel halfway around the world and not speak any motherfuckin' English.

Lester

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 every one you see, we'll be here all day."

McNulty

How long you been in the pawn shop unit?

Freamon

Thirteen years and four months.

McNulty

Thirteen years?

Freamon

And four months.

McNulty

I gotta ask you, what exactly does a police officer assigned to the pawn shop unit do?

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.

McNulty

You did that for thirteen years?

Freamon

And four months.

McNulty

Why'd you ask out of homicide?

Freamon

Wasn't no ask about it.

McNulty

You got the boot?

Freamon

Uh-huh.

McNulty

What'd you do to piss 'em off?

Freamon

Police work.

McNulty

I think I need to buy you a drink.

Freamon

Just one?

McNulty

So what did you do?

Freamon

What do you think I did? I charged him with receivin', then had his ass testify.

McNulty

Well, you coulda made the case without him. Just on the prints and the statement.

Freamon

Probably. Yep.

McNulty

Why didn't you?

Freamon

Why? [he gives McNulty a knowing look] Why are you fuckin' up yourself chasin' Avon Barksdale?

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.

McNulty

You went to a foot post?

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.

McNulty

[laughs] Pawn shop unit.

Freamon

Mm-hmm. They got me good, huh?

McNulty

So why'd they let you out of the box? Why now?

Freamon

I guess they just forgot about me.

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.

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.

Daniels

The murder warrant's on hold. The deputy gave us another month. Also, whoever that was you brought in here today gave himself up as an eyewitness in the Gant murder.

McNulty

Who, Omar?

Daniels

And Greggs said to tell you she'd write it up in the morning.

McNulty

Lieutenant - thanks.

Freamon

It cost you?

McNulty

Lester, are we still cops?

Freamon

Technically, I suppose so.

McNulty

OK, I was just checking.

Bunk

Jimmy, the look on Jay Landsman's face, he nearly cried!

Lester

And Rawls! All afternoon, he just stays in his office with the door closed.

McNulty

Careful, you're giving me an erection!

McNulty

You see the preliminary? Positives for oral, vaginal, anal. No IDs, no passports, no visas, no real money - and the girls are coming across the water like that.

Bunk

Yeah.

Lester

McNulty has a theory...

Bunk

Does he now?

Lester

You deductive motherfucker, you.

Bunk

So he's gonna wander in here with some johnny-come-lately bullshit about how all these girls must be coming over here as prostitutes. Talking about how if they ain't got the cash to travel better than a container ship, then they sure as shit don't got the money to pay a plastic surgeon.

Lester

Then he's gonna go past that. And say something about that one found dead in the water - being tossed off the ship after she's already dead from a beat-down?

Bunk

But why did she get beat? He's gonna ask us that like we don't know.

Lester

Then he's gonna answer his own question, and say her swabs are negative, right? Fuck or fight with all them sailor boys - and she fought.

Bunk

So, it got a little rough, she got banged around, she comes up dead. And then, somebody panics and tosses her in the harbour overnight before the ship ties up.

Beadie

But the other girls saw.

Bunk

So now the other girls, they get told to get back in that can. And our man, to cover this shit up, he gets up on top and bangs down the airpipe. [stands up, sighs dramatically] Anything else you wanna tell us?

Lester

Colonel, respectfully, did you just fuck me over without giving me half a chance to clear this case?

Rawls

Let's be clear, Detective Freamon. When I fuck you over, you'll know it. You'll be so goddamn certain, you won't need to ask the question.

Kima

Cool Lester Smooth... hey, what's happenin'?

Lester

Same fuck-ups in the same shit detail, workin' out of the same shithouse kind of office. You people lack for personal growth, you know that?

Prez

What if they're not sneaking anything off this time? What then?

Lester

Ah then, tragically, you will have wasted yet another day in a life you've already misspent in the service of the City of Baltimore.

Bunk

It’s you Lester, it’s gotta be you.

Lester

Me, huh?

Bunk

We need to bring in the Lieutenant, his detail and all of the manpower and toys that go with it. Daniels listens when you talk. You got the smell of wisdom on you brother. Now look, we all got roles to play.

Lester

What’s your role?

Bunk

I’m just a humble motherfucker with a big ass dick.

Lester

You give yourself too much credit

Bunk

OK then, I ain’t all that humble.