Block of Ice

Block of Ice is an object in Season Two of the Showtime series DEXTER.

It contained the severed fingertips of Sheri Taylor with the nails painted in different colors. It was left by the Ice Truck Killer in the refrigerated truck.

Summary

 * “Crocodile”

Dexter is awakened by Debra' s phone call, to be excitedly told that she has found the refrigerated truck. He hurries to meet her at the location where the truck is parked on a city street.

Debra: “Why is it still running?” Dexter: “It keeps the back compartment refrigerated.”

When the team opens the truck’s back compartment, they find human fingertips inside an ice block.

Debra: “Holy shit, they're fucking fingertips.” Dexter: “Clean slices, no blood. My guess is he drained the body entirely before these cuts were made.” Debra: “How'd he do that -- some kind of pump?” Angel: “No. I had forensics do a workup on our last victim. Our guy's old school.” Dexter: “Yeah, he hoists the body up, severs the jugular. The heart does all the work. It's the most effective method, really.” Debra: “Fucking butcher.”

Dexter looks closer at the block of ice, thinking, ''There are 206 bones in the human body. He could have left any one of them. But he gave us exactly what we need to identify the victim, like he's leaving a trail of bread crumbs.''

Captain Matthews appears and learns from Lt. Maria LaGuerta that Debra was the one who found the truck. He tells LaGuerta to congratulate Debra but, after he leaves, instead she sternly reprimands Debra for not keeping her apprised.

The truck is searched and found to be spotless, which Dexter expected.

Later, back at the MMPD, Debra, Dexter, Angel, and Maria watch as Vince Masuka melts the ice block to reach the fingertips which have differently colored fingernails.

Angel: “Oh, this is seriously fucked-up, my friends.” Maria: “Why go to all this trouble? What's this sick son of a bitch trying to tell us?” Not "us" -- me, Dexter thought. ''My freezer, the painted doll's fingernails... I think he's trying to impress me... and it's working.''

After a couple of days, Debra enters Dexter’s lab as he’s examining the dead fingertips. He holds one up and smiles.

Dexter: “Notice how the skin is gloving around the joints?” Debra: “And that is important because?” Dexter: “A sure sign of postmortem severance, meaning the victim was already dead when she was relieved of her fingertips.” Debra: “Why the different nail polishes? What the hell is this guy thinking?” Dexter voiceover: He's thinking, "Tag, Dexter, you're it." Dexter: “I don't know. Do you have an I.D.?” Debra: “Sheri Taylor -- another hooker.” Dexter: “At least he’s consistent.” Dexter voiceover: I don't care who these fingertips belong to, only what my new friend out there is trying to say.

Officer Debra Morgan is suddenly transferred from Vice to the Homicide department.

Related Pages

 * Ice Truck Killer Case
 * Refrigerated Truck
 * Sheri Taylor