Homicide - Life on the Street Quotes

Lewis: [to Bayliss] You've been around this dump for seven years and you still ain't learned the key to good murder police, which is this: Whatever you see, whoever's around you; you keep them at a distance. But not you. You come up on a crime scene, the first thing you wanna do is put a chalk outline around yourself.

TV Show: Homicide - Life on the Street
Danvers: We'll get Luke Ryland, Tim.
Bayliss: Yeah, I know. These things, they just take time. Patience. Of course, being a murder police, I've learned one inescapable truth. Justice is a bitch.

TV Show: Homicide - Life on the Street
Lewis: No witnesses, no fingerprints, no shell casings, no clues of any kind. No leads of any sort.
Sheppard: Whoever killed Ryland sure knew what he was doing.
Lewis: Or she.
Sheppard: Yeah.
Lewis: If I could just find this thing, I could go home.
Sheppard: You won't find what you're lookin' for.
Lewis: What?
Sheppard: It's a mystery.
Lewis: Huh?
Sheppard: Life is a mystery. Just accept it.
Lewis: Yeah, well, that's what's wrong with this job. Ain't got nothin' to do with life.

TV Show: Homicide - Life on the Street
Pembleton: Do you think you mean anything to anybody, do you think, in this city?
Homeless Guy: No.
Pembleton: But I'm here, I'm extending you my kindness. I give you what you want out of goodwill and it's not about a dollar. If you ask me for ten, I'll give you ten, a hundred, you got it. I'm respecting you. But you gonna sit there and piss on me? I'm gonna send you to hell, Mr. I ain't got a name, so feel sorry for my moocher ass.

TV Show: Homicide - Life on the Street
Pembleton: You know why I left Homicide?
Bayliss: Why?
Pembleton: Because I could not hear one more confession. I got sick of hearing people confess to me. Like some Jesuit, I'd just sit there in the box listening to some guy, not only admit to having just killed someone, but cop to all the other crap in his life that, over the course of his life, had led him to that point.
Bayliss: You would have made a great Jesuit, Frank.

TV Show: Homicide - Life on the Street
Bayliss: I know how James feels. Gotta stop those that are gonna hurt the innocent.
Pembleton: James is a lunatic. Certifiable.
Bayliss: His son gets killed. He's gotta do something. Hey, say, uh, say one of your kids gets hooked on drugs.
Pembleton: One of my kids what?
Bayliss: Gets hooked.
Pembleton: They wouldn't.
Bayliss: Well, just say that they did.
Pembleton: They're not going to. It's not gonna happen. Case closed.
Bayliss: So you have no sympathy for James, for what he's going through.
Pembleton: James is trying to lay the blame on Gee because in his heart of hearts he knows he's responsible for what happened to his kid.
Bayliss: I appreciate how he feels.
Pembleton: Well, you can appreciate it all you want to, Tim, but there's a line between right and wrong.
Bayliss: Yeah, well you're the expert on that, Frank. Nothin' lumpy about you. You know all.

TV Show: Homicide - Life on the Street
Pembleton: Hello. I'm Frank Pembleton.
Michael Giardello: Mike Giardello.
Pembleton: I heard about Gee. I'm sorry.
Michael Giardello: Thanks, for catching the man who killed my father.
Pembleton: I'm good at catching the bad guys. Caught me a couple tonight. A lot of people have worked in this squadroom over the years. A lot of 'em have died. Beau Felton got killed in the line of duty. Steve Crosetti committed suicide. To this day nobody knows why.
Michael Giardello: Do you miss it? Homicide?
Pembleton: I don't know. It's not like you can escape it, you know. Death is everyday. Death goes on and on and on.
Michael Giardello: And that 's because life goes on and on.

TV Show: Homicide - Life on the Street
Crosetti: Hey hey hey.
Felton: Gee.
Gee: Felton?
Crosetti: We've been waitin' for you.
Gee: Crosetti?
Crosetti: Have a seat. Okay, jack of spades for Mr. Beau Felton, a ten of diamonds for my esteemed Lieutenant, and a whole lot a' nothing for the little Italian salami-brain.
Gee: What are we playing?
Crosetti: Five card stud.
Gee: Who's the fourth chair for?
Felton: We don't know yet. But they'll be here sooner or later.
Gee: Anybody I know?
Crosetti: Maybe. It's not like it's written in stone, it's not preordained or anything, Lieutenant.
Gee: I suddenly got worried. My son, he's a cop. I thought maybe-
Crosetti: I wouldn't worry, Lieutenant. Life is short, but once you're dead, you're long time dead, if you know what I mean.
Felton: Your son?
Gee: Michael.
Felton: He's a good kid?
Gee: Yes.
Felton: You taught him well?
Gee: I tried my best. I wish -
Crosetti: Gee, no regrets, huh?
Felton: You know what the best thing about this place is? All the worries and cares that you had in life? They don't matter anymore. Rest in Peace means what it says.

TV Show: Homicide - Life on the Street