McNulty and Man On Stoop in “The Target”

McNulty

So your boy's name is what?

Snot.

McNulty

You call the guy Snot?

Snot Boogie.

What?

McNulty

Snot Boogie. [man shrugs] This kid, whose mamma went to the trouble of christening him Omar Isaiah Betts. You know, he forgets his jacket, so his nose starts running, and some asshole, instead of getting him a Kleenex, he calls him Snot. So he's Snot forever. Doesn't seem fair.

Life just be that way, I guess.

McNulty

So, who shot Snot?

I ain't goin' to no court. [shakes his head] Motherfucker ain't have to put no cap in him, though.

McNulty

Definitely not.

I mean, he could've whooped his ass like we always whoop his ass.

McNulty

I agree with you.

He goin' kill Snot, Snot been doin' the same shit I don't know how long. Kill a man over some bullshit. I'm sayin', every Friday night in an alley behind the Cut Rate, we rollin' bones, you know? I mean all them boys, we roll til late.

McNulty

Alley crap game, right?

Like every time, Snot, he'd fade a few shooters, play it out til the pot's deep. Snatch and run.

McNulty

What, every time?

Couldn't help hisself.

McNulty

Let me understand. Every Friday night, you and your boys are shooting craps, right? And every Friday night, your pal Snot Boogie... he'd wait til there's cash on the ground and he'd grab it and run away? You let him do that?

We'd catch him and beat his ass but ain't nobody ever go past that.

McNulty

I gotta ask ya: if every time Snot Boogie would grab the money and run away, why'd you even let him in the game?

What?

McNulty

If Snot Boogie always stole the money, why'd you let him play?

Got to. This America, man.