Psycho

by Robert Bloch

  Perhaps catharsis would help her, but Norman was glad she hadn't spoken. Because he was suffering too. It wasn't conscience that plagued him—it was fear.

  All week long he'd waited for something to go wrong. Every time a car drove into the motel driveway, he just about jumped out of his skin. Even when cars merely drove past on the old highway, it made him nervous.

  Last Saturday, of course, he'd finished cleaning up back there at the edge of the swamp. He took his own car down there and loaded the trailer with wood, and by the time he'd finished there wasn't anything left that would look suspicious. The girl's earring had gone into the swamp, too. And the other one hadn't shown up. So he felt reasonably secure.

  But on Thursday night, when the State Highway patrol car pulled into the driveway, he almost passed out. The officer just wanted to use the phone. Afterward, Norman was able to laugh to himself, yet at the time it wasn't a joke at all.

  Mother had been sitting at her window in the bedroom, and it was just as well the officer hadn't seen her. Mother had looked out of the window a lot during the past week. Maybe she was worried about visitors too. Norman tried to tell her to stay out of sight, but he couldn't bring himself to explain why. Any more than he could discuss with her why he wouldn't permit her to come down to the motel and help nut. He just saw to it that she didn't. The house was the place where she belonged—you couldn't trust Mother around strangers, not any more. And the less they knew about her, the better. He should never have told that girl—

  Norman finished shaving and washed his hands again. He'd noticed this compulsion in himself, particularly during the past week. Guilt feelings. A regular Lady Macbeth. Shakespeare had known a lot about psychology. Norman wondered if he had known other things too. There was the ghost of Hamlet's father, for example.

  No time to think about that now. He had to get down to the motel and open up.

  There'd been some business during the week, not very much. Norman never had more than three or four units occupied on a given night, and that was good. It meant he didn't need to rent out Number Six. Number Six had been the girl's room.

  He hoped he'd never have to rent it out. He was done with that sort of thing—the peeking, the voyeurism. That was what caused all the trouble in the first place. If he hadn't peeked, if he hadn't been drinking—

  No sense crying over spilt milk, though. Even if it hadn't been milk.

  Norman wiped his hands, turning away from the mirror. Forget the past, let the dead bury the dead. Things were working out fine, and that was the only thing he had to remember. Mother was behaving herself, he was behaving himself, they were together as they always had been. A whole week had gone by without any trouble, and there wouldn't be any trouble from now on. Particularly if he held firm to his resolve to behave like an adult instead of a child, a Mamma's Boy. And he'd already made up his mind about that.

  He tightened his tie and left the bathroom. Mother was in her room, looking out of the window again. Norman wondered if he ought to say anything to her. No, better not. There might be an argument, and he wasn't quite ready yet to face her. Let her look if she liked. Poor, sick old lady, chained to the house here. Let her watch the world go by.

  That was the child speaking, of course. But he was willing to make such a concession, as long as he behaved like a sensible adult. As long as he locked the downstairs doors when he went out,

  It was locking the doors all week long which gave him his new sense of security. He'd taken her keys away from her, too—the keys to the house and the keys to the motel. Once he left, there was no way she could get out. She was safe in the house and he was safe in the motel. There could be no repetition of what had happened last week as long as he observed the precaution. After all, it was for her own good. Better the house than an asylum.

  Norman walked down the path and came around the corner toward his office just as the towel-service truck drove up on its weekly rounds. He had everything ready for the driver. He accepted the fresh supply and gave him the old, dirty linen. The towel service handled the laundering of sheets and pillowcases, too. That made it simple. Actually, there was no trick to operating a motel these days.

  After the truck departed Norman went in and cleaned up Number Four—some traveling salesman from up in Illinois had pulled out earlier in the day. Left the usual mess, too. Cigarette butts on the edge of the washbowl, and a magazine on the floor next to the toilet seat. One of those science fiction things. Norman chuckled as he picked it up. Science fiction! If they only knew!

  But they didn't know. They'd never know, and they must not know. As long as he was careful about Mother, there'd be no risk. He had to protect her, and he had to protect others. What had happened last week proved it. From now on he'd be extra careful, always. For everyone's sake.

  Norman walked back to the office and put the towels away. There was already a fresh supply of linen in every unit. He was ready for today's business—if any.

  But nothing happened until around four o'clock. He sat there watching the roadway outside, and he got bored and fidgety. He was almost tempted to take a drink, until he remembered what he'd promised himself. No more drinking. That was part of the trouble, when there was trouble. He couldn't afford to drink, not even a drop. Drinking had killed Uncle Joe Considine. Drinking had led to the killing of the girl, indirectly. So from now on he'd be a teetotaler. Still, he could use a drink now. Just one

  Norman was still hesitating when the car pulled in. Alabama plates. A middle-aged couple climbed out and came into the office. The man was bald and wore heavy, dark-rimmed glasses. The woman was fat and perspiring. Norman showed them Number One, way at the other end, for ten dollars, double. The woman complained about the stuffiness in a high, whining drawl, but she seemed satisfied when Norman switched on the fan. The man took their bags, and signed the register. Mr. and Mrs. Herman Pritzler, Birmingham, Ala. They were just tourists; they wouldn't present any problems.

  Norman sat down again, riffling the pages of the science fiction magazine he'd found. The light was dim; must be around five o'clock now. He switched on the lamp.

  Another car rolled up the drive, with a lone man behind the wheel. Probably another salesman. Green Buick, Texas license.

  Texas license! That girl, that Jane Wilson, had come from Texas!

  Norman stood up and stepped behind the counter. He saw the man leave the car, heard the crunch of his approaching footsteps on the gravel, matched the rhythm with time muffled thumping of his own heart.

  It's just coincidence, he told himself. People drive up from Texas every day. Why, Alabama is even further away.

  The man entered. He was tall and thin, and he wore one of those gray Stetson hats with a broad brim that shadowed the upper portion of his face. His chin showed tan under the heavy stubble of beard.

  "Good evening," he said, without much of a drawl.

  "Good evening." Norman shifted his feet uneasily underneath the counter.

  You the proprietor here?

  "That's right. Would you like a room?"

  "Not exactly. I'm looking for a little information.

  "I'll be glad to help, if I can. What is it you wanted to know?"

  "I'm trying to locate a girl."

  Norman's hands twitched. He couldn't feel them, because they were numb. He was numb all over. His heart wasn't pounding any more—it didn't even seem to be beating. Everything was quiet. It would be terrible if he screamed.

  "Her name is Crane," the man said. "Mary Crane. From Fort Worth, Texas. I was wondering if she might have registered here."

  Norman didn't want to scream now. He wanted to laugh. He could feel his heart resume its normal functions again. It was easy to reply.

  "No," he said. "There hasn't been anybody by that name here."

  "You sure?"

  "Positive. We don't get too much business these days. I'm pretty good at remembering my customers."

  "This girl would have stopped over about a week ago. Last Saturday night,
say, or Sunday."

  "I didn't have anyone here over the weekend. Weather was bad in these parts."

  "Are you sure? This girl—woman, I should say—is about twenty-seven. Five feet five, weight around one-twenty, dark hair, blue eyes. She drives a 1953 Plymouth sedan, a blue Tudor with a stove-in front fender on the right side. The license number is—"

  Norman stopped listening. Why had he said there hadn't been anyone here? The man was describing that girl all right, he knew all about her. Well, he still couldn't prove the girl had come, if Norman denied it. And he'd have to keep on denying, now.

  "No, I don't think I can help you."

  "Doesn't the description fit anyone who's been here during the past week? It's quite likely she would have registered under another name. Perhaps if you'd let me look over your register for a minute

  Norman put his hand on the ledger and shook his head, "Sorry, mister," he said. "I couldn't let you do that."

  "Maybe this will change your mind."

  The man reached into his inside coat pocket, and for a minute Norman wondered if he was going to offer him some money. The wallet came out, but the man didn't remove any bills. Instead he flipped it open and laid it on the counter, so Norman could read the card.

  "Milton Arbogast," the man said. "Investigator for Parity Mutual."

  "You're a detective?"

  He nodded. "I'm here on business, Mr.—"

  "Norman Bates."

  "Mr. Bates. My company wants me to locate this girl, and I'd appreciate your co-operation. Of course, if you refuse to let me inspect your register, I can always get in touch with the local authorities. I guess you know that."

  Norman didn't know, but he was sure of one thing. There mustn't be any local authorities to come snooping around. He hesitated, his hand still covering the ledger. "What's this all about?" he asked. "What did this girl do?"

  "Stolen car," Mr. Arbogast told him.

  "Oh." Norman was a little more relieved. For a moment he'd been afraid it was something serious, that the girl was missing or wanted for some major offense, In that case, there'd be a real investigation. But a missing car, particularly an old beat-up heap like that one—

  "All right," he said. "Help yourself. I just wanted to make sure you had a legitimate reason." He removed his hand.

  "It's legitimate, all right." But Mr. Arbogast didn't reach for the register right away. First he took an envelope out of his pocket and laid it down on the counter, Then he grabbed the ledger, turned it around, and thumbed down the list of signatures.

  Norman watched his blunt thumb move, saw it stop suddenly and decisively.

  "I thought you said something about not having any customers last Saturday or Sunday?"

  "Well, I don't recall anyone. I mean, we might have had one or two, but there was no big business."

  "How about this one? This Jane Wilson, from San Antonio? She signed in on Saturday night."

  "Oh—come to think of it, you're right." The pounding had started up in Norman's chest again, and he knew he'd made a mistake when he pretended not to recognize the description, but it was too late now. How could he possibly explain in such a way so that the detective wouldn't be suspicious? What was he going to say?

  Right now the detective wasn't saying anything. He had picked up the envelope and laid it alongside the ledger page, comparing the handwriting. That's why he'd brought the envelop out, it was in her handwriting! Now he'd know. He did know!

  Norman could tell it when the detective raised his head and stared at him. Here, close up, he could see beneath the shadow cast by the hat brim. He could see the cold eyes, the eyes that knew.

  "It's the girl, all right. This handwriting is identical."

  "It is? Are you sure?"

  "Sure enough that I'm going to get a photostat made, even if it takes a court order. And that isn't all I can do, if you won't start talking and tell me the truth. Why did you lie about not seeing the girl?"

  "I didn't lie. I just forgot—"

  "You said you had a good memory."

  "Well, yes, generally I do. Only—"

  "Prove it." Mr. Arbogast lit a cigarette. "In case you don't know, car theft is a federal offense. You wouldn't want to be involved as an accessory, would you?"

  "Involved? How could I be involved? A girl drives in here, she takes a room, spends the night, and drives away again. How can I possibly be involved?"

  "By withholding information." Mr. Arbogast inhaled deeply. "Come on, now, let's have it. You saw the girl. What did she look like?"

  "Just as you described her, I guess. It was raining hard when she came in. I was busy. I didn't really take a second look. I let her sign in, gave her a key, and that was that."

  "Did she say anything? What did you talk about?"

  "The weather, I suppose. I don't remember."

  "Did she seem ill at ease in any way? Was there anything about her that made you suspicious?

  "No. Nothing at all. She seemed like just another tourist to me."

  "Good enough." Mr. Arbogast ground his cigarette butt into the ash tray. "Didn't impress you one way or the other, eh? On one hand, there was nothing to cause you to suspect anything was wrong with her. Arid on the other, she didn't particularly arouse your sympathies, either. I mean, you felt no emotion toward this girl at all."

  "Certainly not."

  Mr. Arbogast leaned forward, casually. "Then why did you try to shield her by pretending you never remembered that she had come here?"

  "I didn't try! I just forgot, I tell you." Norman knew he'd walked into a trap, but he wasn't going any further. "What are you trying to insinuate—do you think I helped her steal the car?"

  "Nobody's accusing you of anything, Mr. Bates. It's just that I need all the facts I can get. You say she came alone?"

  "She came alone, she took a room, she left the next morning. She's probably a thousand miles away by now—"

  "Probably." Mr. Arbogast smiled. "But let's take it a little slower, shall we? Maybe you can remember something. She left alone, is that it? About what time would you say?"

  "I don't know. I was asleep up at the house Sunday morning."

  "Then you don't actually know she was alone when she left?"

  "I can't prove it, if that's what you mean."

  "How about during the evening? Did she have any visitors?"

  "No."

  "You're positive?"

  "Quite positive."

  "Did anyone else happen to see her here that night?"

  "She was the only customer."

  "And you were on duty alone?"

  "That's right."

  "She stayed in her room?"

  "Yes."

  "All evening? Didn't even make a phone call?"

  "Of course not."

  "So you're the only one who knew she was here at all?"

  "I've already told you that."

  "What about the old lady—did she see her?"

  "What old lady?"

  "The one up at the house, in back of here."

  Norman could feel the pounding now; his heart was going to beat its way right through his chest. He started to say, "There is no old lady," but Mr. Arbogast was still talking.

  "I noticed her staring out of the window when I drove in. Who is she?"

  "That's my mother." He had to admit it, there was no way out. No way out. He could explain. "She's pretty feeble, she never comes down here any more.

  "Then she didn't see the girl?"

  "No. She's sick. She stayed in her room when we ate supp—"

  It slipped out, just like that. Because Mr. Arbogast had asked the questions too fast, he'd done it on purpose just to confuse him, and when he mentioned Mother, it caught Norman off guard. He'd thought only about protecting her, and now—

  Mr. Arbogast wasn't casual any more. "You had supper with Mary Crane, up at your house?"

  "Just coffee and sandwiches. I—I thought I told you. It wasn't anything. You see, she asked where she could eat, and I
said Fairvale, but that's almost twenty miles away, and it was raining, so I took her up to the house with me. That's all there was to it."

  "What did you talk about?"

  "We didn't talk about anything. I told you Mother's sick, and I didn't want to disturb her. She's been sick all week. I guess that's what's been upsetting me, making me forget things. Like this girl, and having supper. It just slipped my mind."

  "Is there anything else that might have slipped your mind? Like say you and this girl coming back here and having a little party—"

  "No! Nothing like that! How can you say such a thing, what right have you got to say such a thing? I—I won't even talk to you any more. I've told you all you wanted to know. Now, get out of here!"

  "All right." Mr. Arbogast pulled down the brim of his Stetson. "I'll be on my way. But first I'd like to have a word with your mother. Maybe she might have noticed something you've forgotten."

  "I tell you she didn't even see the girl!" Norman, came around the counter. "Besides, you can't talk to her. She's very ill." He could hear his heart pounding and he had to shout above it. "I forbid you to see her."

  "In that case, I'll come back with a search warrant."

  He was bluffing, Norman knew it now. "That's ridiculous! Nobody'd issue one. Who'd believe I'd steal an old car?"

  Mr. Arbogast lit another cigarette and threw the match into the ash tray. "I'm afraid you don't understand," he said, almost gently. "It isn't really the car at all. You might as well have the whole story. This girl—Mary Crane—stole forty thousand dollars in cash from a real estate firm in Fort Worth."

  "Forty thousand—"

  "That's right. Skipped town with the money. You can see it's a serious business. That's why everything I can find out is important. That's why I'm going to insist on talking to your mother. With or without your permission."

  "But I've already told you she doesn't know anything, and she's not well, she's not well at all."

  "I promise I won't say anything to upset her." Mr. Arbogast paused. "Of course, if you want me to come back with the sheriff and a warrant

  "No." Norman shook his head hastily. "You mustn't do that. He hesitated, but there was nothing to hesitate about now. Forty thousand dollars. No wonder he'd asked so many questions, Of course he could get a warrant, no use making a scene. And besides, there was that Alabama couple down the line. No way out, no way at all.