Old Port Warehouse

Old Port Warehouse is a location in Season Four of the Showtime series DEXTER.

It’s an abandoned warehouse where Arthur Mitchell aka The Trinity Killer coerces Tarla Grant to jump to her death.

Location[]

The Miami docks

Summary[]

”Blinded by the Light”

Arthur captures Tarla and forces her to drive from Fort Lauderdale to the Miami docks, while she pleads with him not to hurt her. He orders Tarla to park near an abandoned warehouse, and uses a straight razor to cut the zip tie securing her wrist to the steering wheel. Tarla is taken out of the car and led into the warehouse, as Arthur cautions, “Careful, now. Wouldn’t want to hurt yourself.” He leaves the car running, with the headlights on. They end up on the top floor of the warehouse with Arthur standing behind her, looking out of a large loading door at the harbor lights shining in the darkness below.

Arthur: “It’s pretty, isn’t it? Okay, now. It’s time for you to jump.”
Tarla: “What? God, no.”
Arthur: “Yes. It always ends like this.”
Tarla: “No, but --”
Arthur: “Shh. It’s already over.”
Tarla: “Why are you doing this to me?"
Arthur: “You know I’m not to blame here.”
Tarla: (terrified, sobs)
Arthur: “C’mon now.”

He maneuvers Tarla into position, with her back to the opening, her hands holding onto a rail, which is the only thing preventing her from toppling backward to her death.

Tarla: “Please, no!”
Arthur: “Now you just need to let go... and fall.”
Tarla: “Please, I’ll do anything.”
Arthur: “Good. Jump.”
Tarla: “No, I can’t!”
Arthur: “You can.”
Tarla: “I have children!”
Arthur: “I know. Jason and Susie. If you like, I can swing by your house, put an ice pick in your husband’s head, and bring your kids back, and throw them off one at a time until you finally decide to jump. Is that what you want?”
Tarla: “Please...”
Arthur: “What?”
Tarla: “Please. Just push me.”
Arthur: “It doesn’t work that way. Jump.”

Realizing the threat to her family, and the helplessness of her situation, Tarla reluctantly lets go of the rail. She falls backward, screaming as she plunges six stories to the pavement below, where a thud is heard. Arthur goes down to Tarla’s body, calls her “Mommy,” and leaves a trace of his sister Vera’s ashes near her hand. He then casually walks away, leaving Tarla’s car, wallet, jewelry, and money behind.

Hours later, in the daytime, the police are on scene. Dexter Morgan is shooting photos, while Vince Masuka examines Tarla’s body. In answering a question about the cause of her death, Musaka states dryly, ”Gravity.” Debra Morgan and Joey Quinn watch from the sidelines, until retired Special Agent Frank Lundy arrives (causing Quinn to mock his age to Debra). Lundy tells them it was probably the handiwork of The Trinity Killer, and says the dead woman will likely turn out to be a mother of two. He’s also curious to know if there was a similar death here thirty years ago.

At the station, Debra and Quinn discuss the case at her desk. She tries to convince him that Tarla didn’t commit suicide, but he is skeptical. Debra provides evidence that thirty years ago, to the week, a mother of two jumped to her death from the same warehouse. She was also Caucasian, age 36, and a mother of two. Her family insisted that she was the victim of foul play. Debra thinks it fits perfectly with a serial killer’s pattern. Quinn, however, brings up that others have committed suicide at that location. His examples include someone that fell or jumped off the same warehouse eight years ago, someone else who jumped off a ship loading crane on the same pier in 1986, and another body that washed up on the rocks right in front of the warehouse only two years ago. However, Quinn agrees to keep the case open since Tarla had no apparent reason to kill herself.

The team returns to the warehouse to recreate Tarla’s suicide. Masuka throws dummies with the same weight as the victim off the top floor to test how a body would fall. Depending on where the dummies land, it will prove whether Tarla jumped or was pushed. Masuka makes a crack about putting the dummies in short skirts so they can see their panties while they’re falling.

Meanwhile, Lundy and Dexter stand below and discuss The Trinity Killer. Dexter asks Lundy why he thinks Trinity has been so successful.

Lundy: “Trinity’s likely someone who’s gone his own solitary way through life, so preoccupied with his own obsessions that he’s foregone all but the most rudimentary of human connections.”
Dexter: “A lone wolf.”
Lundy: “Exactly. It’ a little bit disturbing.”
Dexter: “Yeah.”
Lundy: “I mean... I could just as well be talking about myself. Sure, I’ve been married. Was married for 29 years, happily. But even so, the only thing that really got my heart beating was the hunt. I’m sure you can’t relate.”
Dexter: “No, sorry.”

Trivia[]

Tarla’s body is found near loading door 153B.

Quote[]

“I make my bodies disappear. Trinity leaves his out in the open, supremely confident that no one will ever trace them to him, decade after decade... after decade.” ~ Dexter