Her Eyes

Chapter 30: VULNERABILITY

The next morning Alex headed over to the Bates Motel in search of whatever Bob was missing. He stepped in the office to find Emma behind the desk. "Oh hey, Emma. Can I have the key to the room Annika was staying in?" He walked up to the desk, placing both hands on the edge of it.

            "Of course, Sheriff." She turned and reached up, grabbing the key to room 4. "Here you go." She smiled handing him the key.

            "Thanks." He left the office and shuffled down to room 4, unlocking the door and entering it. He left the door wide-open absentmindedly. The room was a bit of a mess, but he didn't mind—he was planning on making a mess anyway. He searched through the drawers of the dresser and the nightstand. He wasn't even sure what he was looking for. The sight of her duffel bag caught his eye. As he searched through it, he began to hear footsteps near the door.

            "Alex," Norma called out to him. He looked over his shoulder at her. He still wasn't sure what to say to her after what happened the night before. She stood in the doorway peering at her.  "What are you doing?"

            He couldn't tell if she was mad at him or not—he could never tell with her. "You're not gonna make me go get a warrant, are you?" He turned back to the bag to continue rifling through it.

            "No, but I'd like to know what you're looking for." The way she said it made it sound like she knew what he should be looking for.

            He grabbed a set of keys and threw it on the bed. "I'm looking for answers."

            "Well have at it." She was hiding something from him.

            He watched as she turned and left before chasing after her. "Norma." She stopped dead and faced him as he approached her. "Did Annika Johnson have anything on her when she died?" He looked into her eyes, trying desperately to read her.

            "Clothes," she stated plainly.

He hated when she was like this. "Don't be a smartass."

"I'm not being a smartass. I don't know what you're talking about." She was good—he never really could read her.

He tried to ignore the way she was making him feel inside. He came here for answers—he was getting answers. "Did she seem like she was trying to get to her room to get something?"

She looked around a bit before answering. "Maybe." He didn't believe her. He gave her a look. It made her nervous. "I don't know. It's hard to tell you. She was weaving and then she fell into me. I think she was headed for her room." He stared at her for a moment, but she wasn't having any of it. "Well I'm gonna go make dinner." She turned to leave quickly. She was avoiding something.

"Norma!" He needed her.

"What?" the annoyance in her voice was apparent. She was such a child.

He had had it with her behavior towards him. One minute they were friends...the next minute they weren't. "Why are you lying to me?"

She wouldn't break. "I'm not. Why are you lying to me?"

He shot her a confused look. "About what?"

"About what you're doing here?" She'd say anything to distract him, but a part of him thought maybe she knew...maybe she knew that part of the reason he was really there was to see her.

He hesitated for a moment. She made him uneasy. "I'm not lying—I'm not revealing the whole truth. That's my job. To decide what and when to tell who."

She stood before him unbreakable. She wasn't as vulnerable as he was. "Well you're very good at it." There was a hint of disappointment in her voice, but she kept strong. "Gold star, Sheriff." His eyes glued themselves to her as she sauntered off. He hated that somehow by some force...he got attached. He was attached to her, and she used that to her advantage. He went back into the room, back to the duffel bag, and searched through it until he came across a slip of paper with a name and phone number on it. He took out his phone and dialed the number.