Octavio (Novels)

Octavio is a character in the Dexter Novels.

Before he’s murdered, Octavio is an ally and friend of Brian Moser.

Description
Octavio is 5’ 6” in height and stocky. He wears dirty work clothes, and his face is scarred and pockmarked.

Summary

 * Dexter Is Dead

Dexter is released from the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center where he was held as a murder suspect, the police won’t allow him back into his house. Brian uses a credit card to pay for Dexter to stay at a small, quiet hotel close to the university. Before Brian drops him off, Dexter buys a few things, including underwear, a toothbrush, shirts, pants, phone charger, and a suitcase to keep it all in.

Dexter’s room is 324 on the third floor. It’s tiny, but neat and comfortable. The mattress, though, has a large depression in the middle. As Dexter lies on the saggy bed, he goes over his options to avoid prison. He must prove that Robert Chase murdered Rita and Jackie Forrest. He must discredit Officer Anderson -- or kill him. Then there is Deborah. Regrettably, if she is still determined to see him behind bars, she may meet with a “sad accident.” For now, Dexter decides to trust in his new lawyer, Frank Kraunauer, paid for by Brian.

Dexter wakes up with an aching back, staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. His car has been impounded so he rents a car, grabs a bite to eat, and drives to South Beach to meet with his lawyer. Kraunauer’s office is in a high rise and there are three security guards and a formidable receptionist in the lobby. During his consultation, Dexter is warned not to do any “amateur sleuthing” and told not to leave town. He’s also informed of a countersuit that could make him very wealthy. Aside from this, Dexter feels the meeting was a waste of time. He heads back to his hotel, first stopping to eat again.

A patrol car is parked outside the hotel’s front entrance, so Dexter parks at the rear of the building and uses his room key to slip in the back door. After reaching the third floor, he strolls down the hall to his room, but his door is stuck closed. He kicks it which allows him to enter. Dexter takes only two steps when he notices a dead person.

The man is lying on the right edge of the bed, one arm crossed over his chest. The other arm is dangling over the side; under his hand is a bloody, six-inch tactical knife. Apparently, he died from the wound in his chest. The situation alarms Dexter since he’s already a murder suspect.

Dexter notices that his closet door is ajar and, since he left a “Do Not Disturb” sign, he knows that housekeepers weren’t there. Is someone is lurking in the closet, ready to attack him?

When he looks inside the closet, Dexter finds another dead man. Dexter refers to him as “Stranger Two.” His eye socket is a nasty mess, having had something sharp shoved into it. This man is younger than the other one, but he has the same olive complexion, stocky build, dark hair, and bad skin.

Dexter pieces together the apparent scenario. “Stranger One” had jimmied the door, which explains why it wouldn’t open.” Stranger Two,” lying in wait in the closet, attacks him. “Stranger One” strikes back and they both end up dead.

Dexter doesn’t think they were there to kill him. Instead, he suspects that Brian’s credit card was traced and they were after him. He calls Brian to let him know about his surprise guests and Brian asks Dexter to describe the men. When Dexter mentions a tattoo of Jesus with a snake on Stranger One’s left wrist, Brian says that he’s on his way. Dexter waits outside at the rear of the hotel until Brian arrives in a white van lettered with Atwater Brothers Carpet. Brian is wearing tattered gray coveralls and carrying a heavy canvas tool bag.

Once in the room, Brian identifies the man on the bed as “Octavio” and looks at him with an expression that resembles regret. However, he doesn’t recognize the man in the closet. From his bag, Brian takes out rolled up coveralls for Dexter. Then he and Dexter wrap up Octavio in the bedspread, take him down the stairs, and load him into the back of the van. They do the same with Stranger Two.

No longer able to stay in the hotel, Dexter gathers his possessions and stores them in the trunk of his rental car. He follows Brian to a strip mall where he parks his car and gets into the white van. Brian drives south almost to Homestead, and then turns west until they reach a gate in an old chain link fence.

Brian accuses Dexter of telling someone about the hotel room. Dexter reminds Brian that Octavio was his friend and Brian’s credit card paid for the room. Brian admits that Dexter is right and says that he was unaware that credit cards could be traced.

They’ve stopped at a quarry and Brian says that, because the water has a high lime content, nothing will be left of the bodies in a couple of months. Brian takes out two storm anchors from his van and he and Dexter wire Octavio to one, and Stranger Two to the other. The bodies quickly sink in the water of the quarry.

Brian explains how he knows Octavio. He says they both had worked for Raul, a drug lord. Brian enjoyed it because, as a hitman, he killed people. Octavio knew where Raul had stashed a sizable amount of cash and they stole it together. Raul’s computer guy apparently tracked the credit card to the hotel room and sent an assassin. It happened that Octavia was also staying at the hotel and recognized the man. Octavio followed him to Dexter’s room where they killed each other.

Brian warns Dexter that Raul will keep coming after him. Dexter realizes why Brian is being so generous by hiring the expensive lawyer. Brian needs his help. Dexter is reluctant to involve himself since he is already facing serious legal problems. Brian, though, says that Raul is now aware of Dexter and will try to kill him, also. He tells Dexter that he must “hunt or be hunted.” With little choice, Dexter agrees to help Brian with Raul, if Brian will help him clear his name.

Related Pages

 * Brian Moser
 * Raul