Top Value Market

Top Value Market is a location in Season Three of the Showtime series DEXTER.

It’s a supermarket where Dexter encounters a predator targeting Astor Bennett.

Summary

 * "The Lion Sleeps Tonight”

Dexter pushes a cart as he shops with Rita Bennett and her kids. The grocery store, Dexter thought. The modern-day equivalent of the Serengeti, where the mighty lion goes to hunt. [A demonstrator gives him a free sample of food.] And my weaker brethren reward me with gifts.

"Rita: [referring to diapers] “Hmm! We'll be needing a lot of those pretty soon.” The lioness, of course, has her own agenda, he thought. Cody: [adding an item to the cart] “What's next?” Dexter: [looking at a list] “Uh... Macaroni & Cheese.” Dexter: [to Astor] “Mayonnaise."

The kids run off.

"Rita: [smiling] “You do your grocery list alphabetically?” Dexter: “How else would you do it?” Cody: [returning with a box] “Got it.” Dexter: “Mmm! The rare and elusive white cheddar. Very good choice.” Rita: [to Cody, as she takes the cart] “Let's go find something else.”"

Now by himself, Dexter enters another aisle where he notices a stranger talking to Astor. "Man: “What you wanna be? A painter?” Astor: “I don't know…” [giggles] Man: “I bet you're a good drawer. A sculptor…” My highly tuned senses detect another predator sniffing around one of my cubs, Dexter thought. Dexter: [to Astor] “Did you get the mayo?” Astor: “Yep.”"Dexter glares at the man and he stares back.

"Astor: “He wanted to know where the Cheerios are.” Dexter: [to man] “Aisle three. Other side of the store.” Man: Oh... Thanks.”"

The man looks down at Astor, smiles at her, and walks away.

Rita returns with the cart and they finish their shopping. Back out in the parking lot, Dexter sees the guy getting into his car, and writes down his license plate number (4QLPR7), just in case.

Using the plate number and the police database, Dexter investigates the man and his instincts prove correct. The guy’s name is Nathan Marten and he has a criminal record as a child molester. Dexter decides to let it go, since Nathan doesn’t fit the Code of Harry.

Later, when Dexter, Rita, and the kids are at the beach, Dexter spots the same man shooting photos of Astor in her bathing suit. Dexter then confronts Nathan at a boardwalk cafe and warns him to stay away. Nathan denies any wrongdoing, but Dexter is not convinced.

After dark, Dexter sneaks into Nathan's house and finds him looking at the pictures of Astor that he took at the beach. Dexter creeps up behind him and strangles him with a garrote, saying, "Nobody hurts my children."

Trivia

 * Top Value Market is a real store, but it’s located in Long Beach, CA, not in Miami, FL.

Related Pages

 * Nathan Marten
 * Sandra’s at the Pointe