Tarla Grant is a character in Season Four of the Showtime series DEXTER.
She became The Trinity Killer's second shown victim. She was a married woman and mother of two children.
Summary[]
Arthur Mitchell (The Trinity Killer) spots Tarla Grant, a woman with two children, at an outdoor shopping plaza and begins to stalk her. As she passes by him, he tries on sunglasses, while continuing to watch her in the mirror. Tarla’s young son runs past carrying an ice cream cone and bumps into Arthur. He briefly speaks to the boy and advises him to catch up to his mother, as he wouldn’t want to “lose her.” When the family stops outside a pet shop, Arthur takes note of Tarla’s apparent love for dogs.
Soon after, Arthur walks a dog in Tarla’s neighborhood. Tarla approaches, carrying bags, and Arthur forces his dog to draw attention. Tarla immediately bends down to pet the dog, and Arthur engages her in conversation. He presents himself as a kind and friendly gentleman, even offering to help carry her bags. As soon as Tarla enters her house, Arthur releases the dog, letting it run free.
Arthur takes Tarla captive and forces her to drive to the Miami docks while she pleads with him not to hurt her. He tells her to stop near an abandoned warehouse, and cuts the bonds tying her wrists with a straight razor. He takes Tarla out of the car and leads her into the warehouse, up to the top floor. They stand together looking out of a large loading door at the harbor lights below. When Arthur tells her that it's time to jump, she’s shocked and terrified. He states that it’s “already over” and maneuvers her into position, with her back to the door.
Tarla keeps holding onto a rail, which is the only thing preventing her from toppling backward to her death. He orders her to let go, but she refuses. She begs for mercy and says that she has children. Arthur tells her that he knows, and if she refuses to fall, he will kill them and her husband. Realizing the threat to her family, and the helplessness of her situation, Tarla reluctantly lets go of the rail and falls backward, plunging to the ground below. Arthur goes to Tarla’s body, calls her “Mommy,” and leaves a trace of Vera’s ashes near her hand.
The next morning, Miami Metro Homicide arrive on scene at the warehouse. Dexter Morgan shoots photos of Tarla, who still lies on the ground six floors below. Vince Masuka examines the body, remarking that the cause of death is gravity. Debra Morgan and Joey Quinn watch from the sidelines, until Agent Frank Lundy arrives on scene. He begins to ask questions and is told that Tarla’s driver license reveals she lived in Fort Lauderdale. Lundy thinks Tarla’s presumed suicide was probably the handiwork of The Trinity Killer, and is curious to know if there was a similar death at this location thirty years ago. Later, Masuka throws dummies out of the top floor to test how a body would fall, while Lundy and Dexter stand below and watch.
It’s revealed that Tarla had a small tumor, which leads Maria LaGuerta to close the case, believing that she jumped on her own. Later, Tarla’s death is ruled a homicide when The Trinity Killer's existence is proven.
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