POV: Alex
Over the past week i'd stayed at the motel, I developed a routine. It didn't differ much from my usual one, the only difference the addition of a certain blonde. That small alteration to my day made all the difference. Not only had the perks of seeing her every morning included being able to check up on her, but also the fact that we would talk. Normal conversations about normal things, not about deaths or disappearances. Unfortunately, it was highly unlikely that that equilibrium was going to last. With all that was brewing with the death of Bob and the assumed death of Bradley Martin, there was a vicious storm ahead. Not to mention the fact that Natalie's arrival had disaster written all over it.
Although it was strange being back in my own home, my everyday routine neglected of seeing Norma every morning, it was a wise decision to come back. Norma, Natalie and I being in the same room for what must have only been 20 minutes had already almost been disastrous. It raised suspicions on my involvement in Bob Paris's 'disappearance'; definitely for Nat, for Norma I couldn't be sure. She was always difficult for me to read, so unpredictable and annoyingly good at playing games. Either way, I wasn't willing to risk sticking around long enough for Nat's metaphorically large mouth to reveal all my secrets in front of Norma.
Seven days was my limit. Embarrassingly, that was the longest time my subconscious allowed me to stay out of contact with Norma. With everything that was going on it was almost essential for me to know that she was alright. Not like i'd let her know that, or Natalie for that matter. My excuse for this visit to the motel, if it came up, would be that I was merely coming over to check up on my oh-so-troubled sister.
After parking my truck just outside the motel, I stepped onto the porch and took a quick glance into the office. Norma was sat at her desk, typing away on the computer. Just as I was about to draw my eyes away to see Natalie in her room, she unexpectedly popped up in the direction I was already looking. She came from the back room and stepped behind the desk next to Norma. She rested her elbow on her shoulder and pointed at something that I was too far away to see on the laptop in front of them both. Curiousness and frankly nosiness washing over me, I pushed open the door and walked inside.
Norma looked up, a smile flashing on her face. "Alex! Hey!" The expression and tone of her voice was almost identical to the time at the family dinner, where I walked in the house after taking the time to recover from my drunken state in one of the motel rooms. At first i'd thought it was some form of sarcasm, or something along those lines. But as she insisted that I stay for dinner, I knew then that she was genuinely pleased that I was there. I wasn't sure why, and I wasn't this time around either. My company was hardly thrilling.
"Uh-" I chuckled quietly, a nervous reaction to her happy mood that I wasn't great at mirroring. "Hey. How have things been?"
"Calm, surprisingly." She answered, and a feeling of relief washed over me. Just imagining the guilt I would feel if something bad had happened while I was gone was painful.
"Yeah? Oh, well, good. You been alright Nat?" I asked, my tone sounding less enthusiastic as I switched my attention to her. I meant nothing by it, she knew deep down that I will have been thinking about her. No matter the things she's done, I always worry about her. She knows that very well; uses it to her advantage half the time.
"I have actually, i've been brilliant. I'm so glad I came here. You know most motels take your booking, shove your room key in your hand and let you get on with it...but Norma has been really nice company." She smiled contently, switching her gaze between me and Norma.
"You know I just can't believe you never told me you had a sister, Alex. We've been getting along so well! She's actually just persuaded some of her contacts to come and stay here at the motel. Isn't that nice of her?"
I narrowed my eyes and nodded. "Lovely. Nat can I borrow you outside for a moment?"
"Sure can. I'll be back in a flash Norma." She pressed her hands on the surface of the counter and span around the corner, making her way over to me in a skipping motion. No wonder people always assumed she was younger than she actually was. Only 3 years younger than me, yet she somehow still felt like my little sister. As well as the youthful glow she somehow managed to maintain, she acted like a child. Or maybe that was just how she went about being happy, something I wouldn't know much about.
"So what's up?"
Stopping just outside the office, I closed the door shut behind us. "You didn't take the hint that there's no chance of Norma being interested in you the first time? Trying to impress her by heroically solving her money problems won't change anything."
"Oh, god. You're unbelievable, you know that? I am fully aware that Norma isn't going to fall for me, thank you very much. Since that first moment where I, harmfully may I add, flirted with her...it was obvious she was straight. Christ, I haven't seen horror like that since the time I threatened that 10 year old for claiming the last Hershey's in the candy store." I laughed at the memory of me taking Nat to our local candy store, something we'd do often. Almost every time she'd pick up a Hershey's bar, so when the younger girl had swiped the last one, she gave her the signature death glare that terrified the poor girl. The serious look on Nat's face reminded me this wasn't a time for nostalgia or laughing. She was pissed.
"Look, if I take interest in a woman that so happens to be straight, i'll let her go. But does that mean we can't be friends? It damn well shouldn't do! There may be this stereotype going around that lesbian women only hang around with guys, but I don't fit it. Nine times out of ten I get along with women better than I do with men, doesn't always mean I want to jump their bones. Her and I get along, okay? She is the first person that has properly taken interest in my life for god knows how long, and i've seriously appreciated her company over the past few days. If you're going to take that away from me just because you're afraid i'm trying to 'claim' your girlfriend, be my fucking guest. But let me tell you Al, jealousy does not suit you." She began walking away, and I stepped in to block her way and held her arm to keep her close.
"Hey, you just made a whole bunch of assumptions that i'm seriously not okay with. I have never once treated you any differently because of your sexuality, and you damn well know that. I've always been the one to have your back when everybody else treated you differently, so don't you dare try and make out like that's what i'm doing here. All i'm concerned about is that you might have feelings for her, and I just don't want you to be disappointed if...when-"
"Yeah I get it Alex...but I don't appreciate being patronised, alright? I might technically be your little sister but we're only three years apart. You don't need to treat me like an innocent little kid. I'm not stupid, I know when I have a chance and when I don't. For once, trust me when I tell you that I am not trying to win her over, nor do I have actually even have any kind of feelings for her that go beyond friendship. Hey she's a beautiful woman, i'm not gonna deny that, but i'm pretty sure nobody would. But I really do admire her; as a person, and as a friend. That is as far as it goes, I assure you."
I knew Nat well, and seeing the look on her face; the honesty, the determination to put across that she was telling the truth, I knew that she really was innocent of what I was accusing her of. Guilt washed over me then, because I could fully understand how she must feel patronised. That was never my intention, hell I don't even know what my intention was. Something inside of me just urged me to confront her about it.
"Look...if you want me to back away from being her friend, i'll back away. I have no interest in making her feel uncomfortable or provoking you. Just, realise what you're doing here...yeah? Making sure that nobody is crossing your territory. I'm pretty sure that means it's time to cross it yourself..." She said, with a shrug and one of those subtly smug 'You know i'm right' kind of smiles. I frowned, loosening my grip on her arm and allowing my hand to drop back to my side. Not that i'd admit to it, but she really was completely right. That's exactly what I was doing. Since when had I fallen so hard for Norma that i'd reduced to being the jealous and possessive type?
It was like she couldn't be mine, and I knew that, but at the same time I didn't want her to be anyone else's either.
"I don't want you to stop being friends with her. I, uh, I was an ass. I'm sorry. You're wrong, though. I'm not trying to make sure nobody is 'crossing my territory' at all. Just didn't want you getting hurt." It was partly true, but also just a cover up. I wasn't worried about Nat at all. Not in a bad way, but in the sense that she was a tough cookie; if she did happen to have feelings for Norma and she got rejected, she'd simply shake it off. Sadly, i'd had to watch her grow used to it over the years.
"Mm." Unconvinced, once again. Though thankfully, not feeling like embarrassing me by grilling me on my feelings for Norma. "Well, nobody likes a third wheeler...so i'm gonna head off and let you guys talk about-whatever it is you talk about. Tell Norma i've gone into town to go get those lightbulbs she needs, won't you?" She tapped my shoulder lightly, taking a few steps back and smiling before walking away.
Putting my hand on the door handle to make my way back into the office, I had to quickly stop myself from pushing the door open into Norma who was standing on the way. A guilty look on her face, she stepped back so I had room to open the door. She bit her lip and scrunched her nose up, an undoubtedly adorable sight. "Sorry..." she whispered.
"For eavesdropping?" I shook my head and laughed slightly to dismiss the further guilt that grew on her face after my comment, which i'd said intentionally to heighten her humiliation of getting caught in the act. "It's fine."
"Well I wasn't exactly eavesdropping. I could hear shouting and I was just checking things weren't getting too heated." She insisted with an innocent shrug, and I simply laughed once again.
"Alright, Norma." In all honesty I didn't care how much of our conversation she'd heard. All the argument was was both of us making assumptions about each other; no secrets were actually revealed, thankfully. If she ever were to find out about anything I was hiding from her, I wanted it to be by no other method than me actually plucking up the courage to tell her myself.
"You're too hard on her, you know." She said, making her way back to where she'd previously resided behind the desk. Tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, she began typing on the laptop once again.
I could've given her this whole speech about how she was wrong and that she shouldn't butt in to things she didn't understand, try to make myself look better. Unfortunately, her words were probably very true. I sighed, nodding my head in appreciation of her comment. "Yeah. I know."
Her head shot up, like I'd said something shocking. "Woah. Hang on. Did you just-" she put her hand over her chest, quirking an eyebrow in surprise. "-agree with me?"
I chuckled under my breath, shaking my head. The laughter was midway between sounding sarcastic, and out of actual amusement. "Yeah, looks like I did."
"I thought i'd never see the day..." A smirk played on her lips, a sort of smug expression that showed how much knowing she was right satisfied her. "Well, i'm glad this is what you choose to agree with me on. Because this is important. It's important for siblings to get along, you know? Especially when you don't really have anyone else."
"Oh is it? You know that's funny, because it doesn't look like you and your brother skip around town holding hands."
Her mood changed rapidly at that comment. The smirk on her face faded away, an angry expression replacing it. Inspecting her face closely to look beyond the anger, I could see the familiar sadness that her beautiful blue eyes so commonly held. I didn't intend for the remark to affect her the way that it appeared to have done. She averted her gaze from me in a cold manner, speaking to me without looking my way. "Don't you have crimes to solve, people to arrest? You know, important things to do that aren't butting into my business?" Her voice was quiet and flat, the type of tone that would usually come from me. Hearing it from someone else, especially from Norma who was usually so expressive, I could see now why people didn't like that trait in me.
"Norma, I was just-"
"My relationship with my brother is none of your concern, Sheriff. The only reason I care about how you treat your sister is because she is a guest at my motel, and if my guests are upset then that means i'm not providing the service I promise." Her eyes were practically glued to the laptop screen and she was typing, but I had a feeling that it was just a way of making herself look busy so i'd leave.
If not from the tone of her voice, I knew she was pissed by the fact she'd called me Sheriff. Ever since the day I assured her she could call me Alex, she never once referred to me as anything else. Hearing the formal name from her lips was disheartening, because it took away the casual demeanour we now had around one another. For a moment it felt like everything had gone backwards, and we were just the mysterious new motel owner and the suspecting sheriff all over again.
My comment had obviously hit a nerve, and it only heightened the concern I already had for her. Until now, I assumed her and her brother were just in a 'We're older now, so we don't see each other that often' kind of situation. Now, though, I got the hint that something had happened between them. Everything would make sense if that was the case. How she seemed to tense up every time he was mentioned, how Norman had given him a death glare at the family dinner. Feeling my phone buzz in my pocket I pulled myself out of my thoughts, simultaneously drawing my eyes away from Norma who i'd been staring at in hope to somehow figure out the irritatingly complex woman. "This is work, I...uh...better take this."
No answer. It took a minute or two of silence for her to realise that I was actually waiting for a response before I took the call. She looked up towards me, though not directly in my eyes. Like as if she knew that her eyes said a thousand words; words that she didn't want to be shared. "You better had."
My eyes narrowed, more filled with concern than suspicion or inquisitiveness. Surely if Norma and her brother had simply had a minor family argument, me touching on that wouldn't spark up this much anger. It was no secret that it didn't take much to trigger a Norma mood-swing, but this was different. It wasn't like i'd said something, and she'd got angry and yelled at me. I'd said something that'd clearly got to her, but she she didn't reduce to one of her freak-outs. She simply gave out a whole bunch of cutting remarks, and avoided my gaze. That, somehow, was worse and more worrying than if she'd screamed at me and launched her laptop across the room.
Saying nothing more on the matter in fear that she actually would end up screaming and launching her laptop at me, I headed out of the office to take the call. As I walked out I was still glancing over at Norma, and I missed the first part of the message.
All I heard was: 'body has been found at the docks'
I knew. Without even hearing who the body had been identified as, I knew. It would be much too big a coincidence for the body not to be Bob, since that so happens to be where i'd dumped his body after I killed him. The evidence will have been destroyed by now. Nothing could pin me to him, not unless there was footage of me at the docks or anything else I might have been unable to prevent. As long as I acted natural; didn't slip up with alibis or give anything away, everything should be okay. It was just a good job I had experience in this kind of thing. Lying, covering things up. My job description meant I watched it happen all the time; so I witnessed how people slipped up and got found out, I knew what and what not to do. If this had been Bradley Martin's body, which I realised was still a possibility, the situation would be different. Norman was young, inexperienced, probably not as good as covering his tracks. I knew i'd have to get involved in the situation on Norma's behalf, which could end up catastrophic for my career baring in mind the amount of times i'd already covered up all her shit. Whichever way this case went, it was sure to be challenging - if not the most challenging one I have ever or will ever have to handle.
"I'm on my way." I said, hanging up and pushing my phone into my back pocket.