Contains spoilers for this episode and earlier episodes.
Judge Phelan approves a cloned pager for D’Angelo. Freamon notices that its messages contain numbers that do not work as ordinary phone numbers and suspects they are coded. Prez eventually cracks the pattern, but Freamon explains that the detail still needs audio from the payphones around the projects to build a case. Carver and Herc catch Bodie after he has escaped juvenile detention. They beat him when he refuses to cooperate, then wait with him at intake. Bunk receives ballistics results linking a casing from the Kresson murder to the Barksdale crew. McNulty tries to recruit Omar, but Omar rejects working with police even after McNulty tells him that his partner Bailey has been killed.
Omar gives McNulty a lead: Bird, a Barksdale soldier, killed witness William Gant, and Omar knows Bubbles has been informing for Greggs. Avon grows suspicious after a silent call and orders Wee-Bey to remove the phone lines in his apartment. Omar and Brandon plan another robbery, then Omar approaches the dealers with a shotgun and takes their supply. Avon visits his comatose brother with D’Angelo and warns him how one mistake can end a life. Poot and Wallace spot Brandon at an arcade and notify D’Angelo, who pages the news onward. The detail logs the messages but cannot hear the calls.