Chapter 12 Room One

The next day, Sunday morning, Sam and Lila met Jud Chambers and his wife as they were coming out of church.

'Do you want to go to the motel with us?' Lila asked.

'I went before breakfast,' said the sheriff.

'What did Mr Bates say about my sister?'

'The same as he told your detective. I promise you, Miss Crane, Norman Bates is alone at the motel. I looked everywhere.'

'You didn't even see his mother?'

'No, I didn't. I'm sorry. If you want the police to help you, you'll have to make a report in the usual way. You can see me this afternoon, if you like. I'll be happy to help you.'

'Well,' said Sam, after saying goodbye to the sheriff and his wife. 'Maybe I was dreaming and Arbogast was lying. Perhaps I Saw a shadow on the curtain, that's all.'

'You weren't dreaming and Arbogast wasn't lying,' Lila told him. 'There's something wrong, and I'm going to the Bates Motel immediately. Come on.'

Sam and Lila drove quickly to the motel on the Old Highway. While Sam looked for Norman Bates in the office, Lila stayed outside. She was interested in the house on the hill. There was

something dark and strange about it, even in the morning sunshine. Suddenly she saw a tall, thin man at the top of the hill He stood still at first, then he began to walk quickly down the hill towards her. Lila called to Sam, who ran out of the office

Norman Bates wasn't surprised to see the young man'and woman outside his office. He walked down the hill towards them with his hands in his pockets.

'Do you want a room?' he asked them pleasantly.

'Yes, please,' said Sam.

'Then follow me,' Norman smiled, walking past them into his office.

'Is Room Ten okay?' he asked, taking the key from the small

cupboard on the wall behind the desk.

'I'd like to write my name in the book first,' said Sam 'Okay.' Norman took the book from under the desk and gave it to Sam.

While Sam was writing his name, Norman watched Lila She was looking at the list of names in the book. 'I know who you are,' Norman thought. 'You're looking for the man who came yesterday. Well, you can look. You won't find anything. I've hidden everything. And you'll never find my mother in the cellar. But I mustn't make any mistakes. I must be careful...'

He took the book and pen from Sam. 'Thank you,' he smiled. 'Now I'll get your bags.'

'We haven't got any.'

'Okay. I'll show you to your room.'

'Don't worry,' said Sam, taking the key.'We'll find it.'

When Sam and Lila were alone in their room, Lila sat on the bed and began to cry. 'I know something terrible has happened to Marion,' she said. 'Seeing that old house on the hill, the way that man kept looking at us. I can feel it.'

'I agree,' said Sam. 'But we need to find something to show the police. Let's go and search Room One. That's the room that Arbogast said she stayed in, isn't it?'

Sam and Lila opened the door and looked outside. They couldn't see anyone. Hoping that nobody was watching them, they hurried nervously back, past the other rooms, to Room One.

They searched everywhere for some information about Marion. Something to show that Bates knew where the money was, perhaps. They found nothing in the bedroom, so they went into the bathroom.

'That's interesting,' Sam said. 'No shower curtain.'

Suddenly, Lila noticed something. 'Look,' she said, picking a small piece of paper out of the toilet. It was wet, but she could still read something on it. 'It's a number. Forty thousand.' She looked at Sam. 'This shows us that Marion was here.'

'We know that already,' said Sam.

'You don't understand. It shows us that Bates knew about the money.'

'Okay. I'll talk to him,' Sam said, and walked towards the door.

But Lib stopped him. 'No,' she said. 'Let's talk to that old woman in the house. She told Arbogast something, and I want her ю teU me the same thing. You find Bates and talk to him. I'm going to talk to his mother.'

Sam wasn't happy about Lila's plan, but he agreed.

Opening the door, he looked out. 'It's clear,' he said to Lila. 'No one's watching. You can go.'

Sam quietly shut the door as Lila ran towards the hill. He found Bates in his office.

'Are you looking for me?' Bates asked.

'Yes,' said Sam, standing in front of Bates so that he couldn't see Lila. 'I'm bored — my wife's asleep and I wanted to talk to someone.'

'Good,' Norman smiled.'Come in and shut the door.'