Her Eyes

Chapter 69: A FRESH POISON EACH WEEK

Alex sped back to the Bates house, tumbling up the steps and flinging the front door open to view the body of the sheriff once more. He could feel his heart clenching at the reality of it all. They were never free from the terror of Norman...and they never would be. He left the body untouched, dialing the station. He'd only have a good ten minutes to think of a plan before they got there, but the more time he wasted the less believable his lie would be.

His heart began to beat against his chest as the sound of sirens came closer. It seemed that it was all coming to an end, but he'd be damned if he didn't go down fighting. Deputy Lynn was the first to burst through the door. She glanced down at the body then up at Alex's horror ridden face. Twenty-three years in the business and nothing ever scared him as much as this.

Alex's eyes met her gaze and he tried his best to shake the fear from him. "Take the body outside," he commanded, returning to his stoic state. The officers followed his command, leaving him alone with Deputy Lynn.

She crossed her arms in front of her, taking a step towards him. They never got along mainly because Alex thought she was too young for the job and for that, as well as many other things, she didn't trust him. "What happened here?"

Alex sighed deeply, glancing up the steps. So here's what the story's gonna be, he told himself. He hand reached up, subconsciously rubbing his temple. "A while back I found out that Milton was involved in the drug business. He was one of the Morgan's partners, but worked mainly with Gil Turner. He knew that Bradley Martin killed Gil, and when she came back into town he killed her. And he was trying to frame Norman Bates. I came here to question him about it and things got a little heated. I told everyone to leave the house, and that's when the argument ensued and Milton fell down the steps."

The woman's eyes narrowed in on him. She was always the one who needed extra convincing. "We're going to have to do an investigation."

He raised his brows, nodding because he already knew that was the case. He followed her down the steps to the SUVs, glancing up at the stretcher being pushed into the back of an ambulance. Standard procedure.

The investigation didn't last long. They drove Alex back to the station where he made his official statement, making sure it lined up perfectly with what he had told Deputy Lynn. There wasn't any evidence against him or anyone for that matter. It seemed as if Arbogast had been backed up against the steps and lost his footing. Perhaps it was an accident. Or perhaps it wasn't. It didn't matter either way. Alex knew the truth. He knew it was Norman, and even though he didn't see him do it—all signs traced back to him.

Alex got lucky. Everyone seemed to believe his story. It wasn't all that surprising; no one really knew who Milton Arbogast was. He seemed to appear from the shadows, coming and going at the most opportune moments. No one questioned whether or not Milton had been involved in the drug business or if he had killed Bradley Martin. They took Alex's word for it. Those were the benefits of working for the same station for over twenty years. He could get away with anything. It was both liberating and frightening.

Alex returned to the Bates house, feeling slightly relieved that he was able to close two cases in the same day. It wasn't even close to noon and though it seemed his work was done...it never would be.

Alex banged on the door of Room 1. He knew she was there...she was always there. He grimaced at her as she opened the door. "I need to talk to you," he grumbled, pushing his way inside.

She shut the door and turned around to face him, a smile creeping across her face. "What can I help you with?"

He stared at her, unamused by her game. "Did you witness anything this morning? Have you seen Norman?"