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Season 4, Episode 3:
Blinded by the Light
 The backyard barbecue, it’s a holdover from the last Ice Age when food was scarce and men had to work together to take down a large beast. Those who worked well with others survived and their genes have been passed down through the centuries until they landed here, in this… my community.
Dexter’s in the middle of a full on backyard barbecue. He plays the perfect family man. Astor scopes out the emo teen next to her. She’s a bit moody when Dexter comes over and offers her a soda.
Rita pulls Dexter aside. She’s been on the phone with the doctor that treated Dexter at the hospital and she’s not happy. She digs into him for lying about his concussion and the fact that he isn’t supposed to be driving for ten days. Rita will be doing all the driving, she announces. She’s laying down the law.
She’s right, maybe now’s the times to turn that around, score a few points, which will then make Rita the more likely to say yes when I need a little time to myself!
Dexter turns over his keys.
 There’s a local mystery brewing. Someone’s bashed in their neighbor Kate’s birdbath. Dexter’s neighbor Elliot runs through the list of vandalism that’s hit the neighborhood: a knocked over water fountain, pulled down basketball hoop and graffiti. What’s next?
Dexter gets all the gossip. The emo teen, Jess belongs to Andy, the local widower. Seems like their having some father/son issues. Elliot, Andy and Dexter decide to band together and stay vigilant. Andy teases Dexter that the timing of the vandalism started when he moved into town. Dexter seems a bit perplexed on how to react until Andy lets in that it’s a joke.
The danger of community is that the people who don’t belong are looked upon with suspicion. Those of us who prefer to work by ourselves, the lone wolves, risk being singled out.
 Elliot sneaks up and pushes Cody in the swimming pool. Dexter searches to see how he should react to this. Cody jumps out laughing. Dexter smiles when everyone else starts to laugh.
So I become an expert at blending in, camouflaging myself, becoming one of the guys…
Dexter follows Elliot’s lead and pushes Astor into the pool. Unfortunately her reaction is the opposite if Cody’s. Astor runs off humiliated and Rita follows, but not before giving Dexter a “what were you thinking?”
This blending in thing isn’t as easy as it looks…
* * *
 It’s night, and the Trinity Killer has taken his next victim. He sits in the back of Tarla’s minivan dressed in black, silent, devoid of emotion. He’s forced her to drive to a desolate warehouse district. She cries as she drives to her death.
“We’re here.” He tells her. “Stop right here.”
He tries to comfort her with a latex gloved hand to her shoulder. He moves around to the front of the van and takes out a straight razor. Tarla begs for her life. Now we know how he got her to drive this far, he bound her to the steering wheel. He cuts the plastic binding and takes her from the car.
He leads her reluctantly to the building and through the door. We’re still not sure why she doesn’t cut and run. He scolds her not to do anything stupid and takes her all the way to the top of the warehouse.
 He holds her at the edge. They look across the water at the shipping docks.
“It’s pretty.” He says, holding her against him. He pauses. “Okay, it’s time for you to jump.”
Those words snap Tarla out of her whimpering.
“It always ends like this. It’s already over.”
She asks him why he’s doing this.
‘You know I’m not to blame here.” He says calmly. He drags her to the edge. “You just need to let go and fall.”
She begs him, tells him that she has children, and he floors her with his response.
“I know, Jason and Suzie.” He lays down the ultimatum. “If you like I can swing by your house, put an ice pick in your husband’s head and brings your kids back and throw them off one at a time until you finally decide to jump.”
 She’s looks at him, her hands trembling on the railing.
“Please. Just push me.” She begs him.
He steps back, halfway into the shadows. “It doesn’t work that way.”
She lets go.
The Trinity Killer seems shaken as he walks past her broken body.
“Mommy.” He says as he kneels beside her. He takes a glass bottle from his pocket. He removes his glove and dips his finger into the unknown contents of the bottle and drags a small line on the asphalt by Tarla’s hand. His work is done.
* * *
 Dexter shuffles out of his pink stucco house and retrieves the paper. He turns around and stops. The neighborhood vandal has struck home and painted a face on his front gate.
“You’ve only been here a month and they’ve already got you tagged. “ Harry tells him.
Dexter argues that he’s not the only one who’s been targeted but Harry’s not buying it. He reminds him of the past, when Dexter’s house was TP’d by the local kids and Harry had made him clean it up so the neighbors wouldn’t ask the questions. Harry still insists that Dexter can’t let things slip.
I’m not slipping, but somebody is.” Dexter sees the discarded spray paint can by his gate. Evidence! He picks up the can and shuffles back inside.
* * *
 At Debra’s, she and Anton have a small tiff about why he doesn’t make the coffee in the morning, but he distracts her with good news. The Sandpiper Hotel wants to book his band for a month gig. No more cruise ships. He can stay at home and be with her every night.
Deb smiles and kisses him, but there’s something unsure about her cheerful reaction.
* * *
 Dexter sits in the minivan, a smile forced on his face. Rita serenades the baby with a out of tune rendition of “Karma Chameleon”.
Ok, if I count yesterday then this is day two of me being the ‘best husband in the world’. I can last another five days…
Dex asks to stop for a coffee, but Rita cuts him off. “You’ve already had a coffee.” She launches back into the song, waving the rattle in Dexter’s ear. Dex looks perplexed.
Really I started Saturday afternoon, so actually it’s two and a half days… Only four and a half to go… I’m never gonna make it.
* * *
 At Miami Metro, Angel goes over the info they have on Johnny Rose, the Vacation Murder suspect. They’ve interviewed everyone close to him but have no leads. Maria inquires about the Lisa Bell investigation, but Debra doesn’t have anything.
Maria tells her she better find something quick or she’ll have to join the “Vacation Murders” with everyone else.
Quinn sidelines Dexter as he comes into the office. He’s still on “I know Dexter saw me take that money” mode. He gives Dexter free club level tickets to the Dolphins game. Dexter asks him why and Quinn lays the “you’re a friend” on pretty thick.
Dexter runs into Masuka on the way to his lab.
“Man, who do I have to f**k to get those tickets?”
“Here. No f**cking.” Dexter slips the tickets to him.
Masuka’s floored.
* * *
 Angel announces a new case. A female body has been found at the Old Port. Looks like a jumper. Angel tries to pass the case off.
Dexter wonders if it’s the case Lundy predicted. Debra volunteers herself and her brother to investigate the case. Debra demands that she’ll be the one to drive as Rita has explained the “no Dexter driving” rule to everyone.
Quinn, who had turned down the jumper case moments before has now joined Debra in the car. Seems he can’t be away from Dexter for too long. Dexter climbs in the back, Quinn’s music blares as they drive to the scene.
Masuka’s on the scene. He relates the stats.
“Female. Caucasian. Mid thirties, I’m guessing.”
 If this is the latest victim of Lundy’s Trinity Killer then he’s a very different monster than I am. Why her? Why here? What is Trinity’s code? Does he have one?
No sign of a struggle, no ligature marks. Quinn thinks it’s a suicide.
Lundy arrives on the scene. They have a name for the victim. Tarla Grant. Lundy’s there to observe. Quinn still harping on suicide but Debra cuts him off. Why would this woman drive from Fort Lauderdale to jump off this abandoned warehouse?
Debra apologizes to Lundy abut her behavior at the hotel. He’s over it already, but she’s still embarrassed. He tells her that although he’s here on the case. He’s glad the killer chose Miami, knowing that she’d be here.
 He’s still not sure if this Trinity’s next victim, but he’s expecting a missing person report will turn up that the victim has a husband and two kids. He’s interested to know if there was a similar death at this site thirty years ago.
Dexter kneels by the body. Observes the scene.
I make my bodies disappear. He leaves his out in the open. Supremely confident that no one will ever trace them to him. Decade after the decade.”
He stands a wistful look on his face. Admiring the work.
* * *
 Masuka gives Dexter a lift home in his tricked out truck. It seems Masuka also has a penchant for country music as well as garish taste in vehicles.
Dexter sighs before he enters his home. He steps up to the gate and is blinded by a home security spotlight.
Great. Security lights. Just what every serial killer needs.
“What are you looking at?” He asks the spray painted face on his gate.
He stops. A police officer is talking to Rita in their living room.
It seems he didn’t get Rita’s message about the neighborhood watch meeting that’s being held at their house… tonight. He turns and waves to the twenty people in his dining room.
 This is my community. I am one of you.
“Are you ready to fight crime Dexter?” The policeman asks. Everyone has to keep an eye out, know their neighbors schedules so they can be aware of any anomalies. He gives Dexter a whistle and a head flashlight.
“Your job is to watch and report.” The police man says.
Astor is chatting up with the Jesse. Dexter gets a warning from Andy, the chairman of the neighborhood beatification committee that he has to repaint his gate. Elliot asks Dexter how he likes the new motion detection sensors he’s installed at his place.
The vandal has escalated his attacks to breaking and entering.
Next thing he’ll be stealing our women.” Elliot says. “Can’t let them steal our women no can we?”
“No they’re, our women.” Dexter chimes in, one of the gang.
 Dexter signs up for the night patrol.
“No one will come in our out of our neighborhood without OUR notice.” Elliot says.
Including me. It’s not the neighborhood vandal I’m worried about. It’s the neighborhood watch.
Dexter spots Jesse's graffiti-covered sneakers. He goes to investigate. Jesse is chatting up Astor, talking about his community college plans. He’d been planning to go U Miami to but his father’s lay off ruined those plans.
“That blows.” Astor says.
Dexter tries to get Jesse to sign up for the watch patrol, but he refuses. Jesse finishes his soda and leaves it on the counter.
Paint can, soda can. I’m thinking fingerprints.
Dexter takes the can as evidence. He further embarrasses Astor, by announcing it’s past her bedtime in front of Jesse. Astor calls for her mother, once again humiliated.
***
 The next day, Dexter sets about repainting his font gate. Astor ignores him as she leaves for school.
Harry appears as Dexter paints.
“You knew this day would come Dexter.” He launches into Dexter’s deficiencies. Dexter doesn’t have the emotional skill set to deal with growing children. Harry doesn’t want Dexter to get involved. His family should just be camouflage, nothing more.
“It’s gotten more complicated than that.” Dexter says.
“Then uncomplicate it. You need to realize your limitations. Remember exactly who you are.” He warns Dexter he should’ve used a darker paint.
“Don’t worry dad, it won’t show through.”
“I hope so, for your sake.”
* * *
 Dexter analyzes the paint can and Jesse’s soda can at the lab.
As long as the neighborhood vandal, keeps my neighbors on edge I will have no privacy. And I’m not going to let you do that to me Jesse.
He runs the two prints, they are a match. Jesse is the vandal.
* * *
Quinn brings Debra the Tarla Grant case file. Debra’s excited. It fits the Trinity Killer profile. Quinn doesn’t think it’s so cut and dry.
 Maria comes in, they’ve just unsealed Johnny Rose’s juvenile records. He was convicted for shoplifting with his girlfriend Nicki Wald back in high school. It’s an old case, but they need any lead they can get. Maria offers to drive to the witness’ house with Angel. They both try to play it cool.
“Does that seem accidental and unplanned to you?” She asks Angel.
“Even I believed it.” He answers.
As they wait for the elevator, they make plans for a quick hotel stop on the way.
* * *
Debra has found something big. Thirty years ago to the week another woman jumped to her death in the same place. Same stats, 30, mother of two. Quinn isn’t convinced, and reads through the list of people who either jumped or fell or turned up dead at the same warehouse over the years.
Debra insists that the case stays open.
 Anton shows up at her office, and invites him to lunch but she’s short with him. He gives her a look and she relents.
Dexter sits at the lunch table, enjoying his sandwich.
Ah solitude something I wont enjoy again until I deal with Jesse, the neighborhood… s**thead.
Anton and Debra join him, quickly followed by Lundy. Solitude gone.
Lundy and Anton introduce themselves and Debra looks like she’s going to have a panic attack.
Dexter escapes to work on the blood results. Debra verifies Lundy’s theory about Tarla. Anton watches as Debra perks up explaining all the connections between the two cases. She’s more focused on Lundy and the case than him.
* * *
 Angel and Maria, finally make it to the witness’s apartment after their hotel stop. Nicki’s not there. As they head out they run into Nicki. She’s with Johnny, who pulls out a gun and they both start shooting. They pursue, but the two suspects drive off. Angel calls in the report.
* * *
That night, Dexter’s on his own stakeout. He’s hides in the bushes, dressed in black, staked outside Andy’s house.
Rita thinks I’m with the neighborhood watch. Truth is I’m going to do a little more than watch.
He watches Andy drive off.
There’s dad off to his weekly poker game. And if I were the delinquent son. I would take advantage of my father’s absence.
 Jesse heads out after his father leaves. Dexter starts to follow him. Jesse has his drumsticks in hand and is beating the bushes.
Going after him feels very familiar, except it won’t have its usual satisfying ending. The best thing I can do is scare a little sense into this kid.
Dexter pulls a mask over his head and approaches Jesse from behind. A whistle blows. Dexter is spotted. He tears off through the backyards, the Watch in hot pursuit.
Its watch and report a**holes! Not watch and chase. This is so humiliating…
Dexter looses them and heads back to his house. The motion sensor spots hit him after he pulls off his mask.
“This neighborhood’s gonna kill me.”
* * *
 The next day Elliott comes over to announce the vandal’s next crime. Elliot’s car is u on his front lawn. The vandal broke the window, released the emergency brake and pushed the car. Cody’s bike is crushed beneath the wheel. Rita is shaken up. What if Cody had been on the bike? Dexter stares at the bike. Quiet.
* * *
Masuka’s back at Tarla Grant’s murder scene. He’s tossing dummies off the building trying to recreate the lading pattern. He offers to sell his newly acquired Dolphin tickets to Quinn for 500 dollars. Quinn snatches the tickets away.
 It must be weird for you, Lundy coming back.” Masuka says to Debra.
“What do you mean weird, you’re weird.” She snaps.
None of my business I know, but if I loved someone and that person was gone. And I moved on and then found someone else, and then the first person all of a sudden showed up again. I dunno I’ve never had that problem, but it’s gotta be a little confusing.”
“Maybe, a little.” She says hesitantly.
“So then maybe if you know it’s supposed to be weird and confusing then maybe it’s a little easier to handle.”
Deb’s taken aback by Masuka’s spot on analysis.
“Thanks.”
 On the street below. Lundy and Dexter shield the sun from their eyes and stare up at the opening.
Lundy informs Dexter that it’s always the same three kills with Trinity. A young woman in a bathtub, followed by a mother falling to her death, and ending with a man getting bludgeoned.
There’s been fifteen cycles of Trinity’s murders.
“That’s impressive.” Dexter smiles. Lundy gives him a look. “In a very evil way.” Dexter adds.
Lundy chalks Trinity’s success up to the fact that he’s probably a loner, cut off from all connections.
“A lone wolf.” Dexter says wistfully.
“It’s a little bit disturbing; I mean I could just as well be talking about myself. “Lundy says. He confesses to Dexter that the only thing that had ever thrilled him was the hunt. Dexter looks at Lundy in a different light.
Lundy’s just not sure why Trinity’s returned to Miami.
“He’s come home.” Dexter says.
“I’m not sure home is the right word. People like us don’t really being anywhere. We just pass through.”
Another dummy crashes to the ground.
* * *
 In a darkened room, the Trinity Killer places a glass urn on a side table. Old family photos surround the vessel. He pulls the glass bottle from his pocket and empties ashes from the bottle back into the urn. Trinity sits in the chair by the table and fills two glasses, one with alcohol, the next with water. He pushes the alcohol before the urn and clinks the glass.
“Drink up.” He says and drinks. “You’re next.”
* * *
Christine Hill tries to get more “Vacation Murder” info from Quinn. He tells her she’ll have to read the press report with everyone else. He warns her not to report negatively about Angel and Maria being almost killed. She pushes him on the bathtub murder and the jumper, but he cuts it short, but not before he asks her if he can see her tonight.
 Masuka gives Debra the evidence that Tarla jumped, and wasn’t pushed and Quinn adds that Tarla had been diagnosed with a tumor the week before adding doubt to the homicide theory.
Maria tells Angel they have to give their statements about the shooting. She’s worried and tells him they have to get their story straight on why they left the precinct at 12:30 but didn’t get to the scene until 2:45. Angel volunteers their alibi. They grabbed some lunch and then had a flat tire. Maria agrees.
Maria draws the line on the jumper investigation. The evidence says no, so she’s demands the case be closed as a homicide. She tells Deb she can pursue the case on her own time.
* * *
 Rita calls Dex at work. Cody cut his foot on a piece of glass from the car on the lawn. Dexter gives his sympathies. Quinn comes into the lab to confront Dexter.
“Help me out here Dexter. I’ve been going out of my way trying to make things good with you, but whatever I do you just throw it back in my face.”
“You don’t need to make things good with me.”
“Come on. What’s it gonna take?”
Dexter lays it on the line.
“Quinn, I don’t care if you’re a dirty cop.”
Quinn flips out a bit justifying his “putting himself on the line” everyday as reason to justify the theft.
“Just don’t f**king call me dirty.” He growls at Dexter.
Last thing I need is a cop mad at me.
Dexter plays the apology card and takes back everything.
“I honestly don’t give a s**t. Just keep my sister out of it.”
Quinn stares him down. “You don’t understand any of this do you? You can’t cause you’re not a cop, you’re not one of it.”
Dexter sighs.
Cops… Another community I’m not part of.
* * *
 Debra drives Dexter home. He looks like he doesn’t want to leave her car.
They confide in each other about the fact that they have no alone time.
“They’re always home” Dexter says.
Debra admits she liked it better when Anton wasn’t there and she had time to herself.
“There’s no escape.” Dexter muses.
Debra even more confused now that Lundy’s shown up.
She laughs
“We’re complaining because people want to be with us. How lame is that.”
They switch to talk of Tarla Grant. Debra’s still unsure what to think.
“Masuka says she wasn’t thrown or pushed from the building. She jumped. What would make her do that?”
“Fear is a powerful motivator.” Dexter answers.
Back inside, Rita greets him with a smile. Dexter checks on Cody who’s made his own fort.
“Keep holding down the fort.” He tells Cody.
And I’ll hold down my end, once you all go to sleep tonight.
 Rita drops big one on Dexter. “You may want to talk to Astor”
This is one of those moments when I wish I was like everyone else. I’m sure other people would know what to say.
Astor looks up from her magazine as Dexter approaches.
“Hey, I know you’re not a little kid anymore.”
“Duh.”
“I’m sorry. Its sometimes I’m dumb…”
He turns to walk away and Astor puts down her book.
“It’s okay.” She says, relenting for once. “You can be dumb.”
Dexter sighs in relief.
“Thanks.”
* * *
 Still at work late at night. Maria and Angel look exhausted. Alone in the elevator she slumps against him for a moment.
“It’s funny. A few months ago. After a shootout like this. People saw me leaning against you they wouldn’t think twice.
“They still wouldn’t think twice. They don’t know anything about us.”
Maria’s still worried. But Angel doesn’t care. He needs this as much as she does.
* * *
 Quinn’s in bed fuming. Even though he’s getting a back massage from a topless Christine, he’s still going on.
“This Dexter guy. First of all who the f**k is named Dexter? Did his parents know he was gonna grow up to be a f**king egghead?”
Christine tries to get his mind off of Dexter. Quinn’s forgotten about the “no pillow talk rule” and blabs everything about Lundy’s theory about the jumper being part of the big serial killer case.
* * *
Lundy goes over his Trinity case files in a bar with Debra. Trinity’s been committing the same three murders all over the US, never coming back until now. Debra gets another drink. They joke about how Lundy’s way of relaxing is hunting bad guys. He tells her that she’s exactly like him. “Just in a much prettier package.”
Debra’s cell buzzes. Text from Anton. She lies and texts him she’s working late. He calls her, and she lies that she’s still at the office. She joins Lundy back at the bar.
* * *
Dexter is on the prowl. The sound of a crash and a car alarm sounds from the distance.
 Ah Jesse hard at work, big surprise.
Dexter pulls his mask over his face and breaks into Andy’s house.
I’m gonna wait in your room and scare the s**t out of you.
He creeps up the stairs, opens Jesse’s door, only to find Jesse sleeping in bed.
Jesse. If you’re in here…
Dexter sees Andy coming back into the house. Andy’s weilding a giant wrench.
Andy. Apparently I’m not the only one who isn’t exactly what he seems.
Andy heads into the garage to put away his tools and Dexter slips into the garage behind him. Dexter turns off the light and turns on his head flashlight, blinding Andy.
“Is that the wrench you used to break the windows?” Dexter masks his voice.
 Dexter makes an ultimatum.
“If so much as touch another window, I will come back here and I will leave with your head in a bag.” dramatic pause “I already have the bag.”
Andy contemplates for a second and then swings the wrench at Dexter’s head. Dexter gets Andy by the throat but Andy breaks away. They circle each other. Andy’s having a bit of a melt down. He launches into a rant about how everyone in the neighborhood flaunts their wealth.
“They’re lucky the only thing I broke was their f**king windows.”
And you’re lucky I don’t break you’re f**king neck.
 Dexter makes his move and grabs Andy by the throat. He slams him against the wall. Andy has nothing to lose. His wife is dead, he’s lost his job, and his house is being foreclosed. He’s on the edge. Dexter plays the only card that will work, the same one Trinity played with Tarla Grant.
“I said stop. You want me to come back for your sons head too?”
That does it. Andy crumbles to the ground at the threat of the loss of the only thing he has.
***
 Bad news for Andy is he’s lost his house. Good news for me is he’ll be out of the neighborhood. Why should I care about him? It’s his world. People like him made it this way. At least he had a chance to belong.
Dexter stops on his walkway as the security light hits him. The spray painted face showing through the paint on the gate.
Harry stands behind him.
“It’s still there, Dex.” Harry tells him. “A stain so deep it can’t be erased.”
Dexter looks up at the security light. He’s had enough. He takes a rake and smashes the light. He turns back to his house. He isn’t alone. Rita stands at the front door, a witness to his crime.
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