16.
~ Larry White looked between Norma Bates and Deputy Romero as if they were pulling a prank on him.
"I know, how it sounds." Romero said carefully.
"It sounds crazy." Larry snapped.
"It's true." Norma told him. "I've been lying about my name. Norma Bates is my real name and we just found out the Arizona police think my husband murdered me."
"Why did you lie about your name?" Larry asked slowly. Irritation rising in his own voice.
"To hide." Norma said meekly. "My sons and I were being abused. I had gotten away and if Sam knew where I was, then… well, then he might come hurt me again."
Larry looked upset.
"When you were in the hospital… you… I mean, how did that work?" he asked. "You were registered under the name Vicki Deeds. The city knows you as the plaintiff: Vicki Deeds.
"She was brought into the emergency room." Romero explained easily. "They didn't ask for ID. That was the name she had given me."
Larry's face turned red.
"Fine." he said bitterly. "Well, the best strategy right now is to confirm that Sam Bates has actually been arrested for your murder and that your story is real. For all I know you might be a crazy person."
"I'm not a crazy person." Norma said. "I also have a son named Norman who is with Sam's mother Rose. I want to get him back and divorce Sam."
"Yes, this is the divorce we talked abut." Larry asked and nodded to Alex. "I'm assuming you ran to White Pine Bay to be with Deputy Romero here."
Norma looked at her lawyer in horror and Alex's brows lifted in surprise.
"What? No! I just met Alex. I never knew him before-" she argued.
"Just alert the Arizona police that Norma Bates is still alive. We can fax a positive ID for finger prints and she can give a statement to their detectives from our station." Alex interrupted. Effectively putting a stop to any insinuation Larry was making.
"She'll need to go back to Arizona. The boy to." Larry told them.
Alex nodded and Norma felt queasy.
"What if they arrest me?" she asked.
"For what?" Larry asked. "You haven't broken any laws other than inconveniencing your husband. You told me the child you fled with wasn't his biological son and it's not a crime to leave your husband. You also made sure your other child was left in the custody of his grandmother before you came here. No crime has been committed."
"Yes." Norma said weakly and looked at Alex who nodded at her.
"Assuming everything you told me is true, we can clear this up with a few phone calls. Then we can start the divorce proceedings, custody arrangements and all that." Larry sighed.
~ Norma and Dylan were summoned, along with Alex to speak to the White Pine Bay County Sheriff. A large man named Sheriff Wayne.
"Seems you're proclamation has caused a bit of a stir, Mrs. Bates." Sheriff Wayne told her while another deputy fingerprinted her and Dylan. They promised all they would do was take finger prints, pictures, and a written statement to confirm their identities.
Norma looked worriedly back at Alex. It felt like she was about to be thrown in jail for her deception. She'd never been able to trust the police back in Arizona and walking into the Sheriff's station, made her feel like she was walking into a trap. One false move, one out of place sentence, and she would go to prison.
"We're going to have you write out your statement, don't spare any details, and then we'll send it to the Arizona police. If your prints match, along with your son's prints, you might get a visit from one of their detectives.
"Will I be arrested?" she asked nervously.
"There's no law against leaving your husband. I'm told Dylan isn't Sam Bates' child. So, no. You won't be arrested." the Sheriff said kindly. "Believe it or not, Mrs. Bates, the police are your friends. I know you feel like you weren't protected back in Arizona but that's all going to change now. I've spoken to the lead detectives and they didn't believe me when I said you might be alive. Seems there was a lot of blood in the house. Kitchen and bathroom, they said. I told them you were an abused woman and it wasn't uncommon to have blood in a home over the years."
Norma nodded. She'd forgotten about the time Sam had cut her with a knife in front of Dylan and she'd bled for a little while in the kitchen. She'd cleaned up the mess like always but the detectives must have found traces of it. She had to think back to all the times Sam had hurt her over the years. The house ripe with evidence of her abuse.
"It didn't help that Sam Bates was ripping up the carpet in the bedroom, and had it tossed out right after you vanished." The Sheriff went on. "Anyone who does sudden home improvements right after a spouse goes missing is guilty as sin."
Norma had to smile at that. Sam had truly shot himself in the foot there. He couldn't have looked more guilty if he'd tried. Waiting two days to report her disappearance, ripping up the carpets of a potential crime scene? Not telling police about Dylan's broken arm or any important information? No wonder they didn't wait to arrest him.
~ Norma wrote her statement while Alex stayed with Dylan in another room. She described the abuse and buying a car in cash. How she'd had to leave without Norman after Rose took him. How, in a panic, she'd left her pocketbook behind with her ID and was afraid to go back and get it.
How she had changed her hair color in case Sam came looking for her. How she'd told people her name was Vicki Deeds because she was afraid Sam might try to find her. That she hadn't planned on staying in White Pine Bay, but her sudden illness had changed all that and she was sorry she'd lied about her real name.
She wrote, pretending she was her old and scared self again. The ghost of who she used to be fading and dying on the page. If they believed this lie, she might just get away with it. They already looked at her with a certain amount of pity.
Not the normal pity she was used to before. Back when Sam hit her and the police refused to look at her. When she came into the Sheriff's station in her blue summer dress with Dylan's small hand clasped in hers; Alex's strong hand on the small of her back, people looked at her in awe.
Their eyes followed her as though she were some kind of celebrity in their midsts. She'd been thankful Alex was there. That he'd never left her side unless forced to and was quick to introduce Norma to everyone in the office. He'd seemed to take the fear away when he did that. The intimidating cops in uniform becoming nothing more that a bunch of guys he'd grown up with who liked to fish, were terrible at bowling and who's wives thought she'd been very brave to leave her husband.
The whole process had taken a few hours and Norma again felt like she'd just played a role. Saying well rehearsed lines that no longer held any power behind them when she spoke to detectives in Arizona over the phone.
When she'd asked about Norman, they had very little to say, except she'd better start the paperwork for custody now.
~ It was like she'd committed a crime, and when Alex took her and Dylan back to the house, she was afraid the police might come after them; sirens blaring and lights flashing.
But nothing happened for a few days. Not a whisper online about Sam Bates' sudden exoneration, and no one called or came to see her for almost a week.
Finally, just as she was thinking it had all been a dream, Larry called and told her the charge of murder would be dropped, but Sam Bates would stay in prison anyway.
"Seems he's been fleecing his customers for a few years now." Larry said. "They were investigating suspicious banking activity in relation to your disappearance and found it."
"I… I was told about, blood in the house." Norma said weakly. "They found my blood in the house. Sam tore up carpeting and everything."
"Yeah, that's true. They did. They got warrants to search the house." Larry told him. "It had been cleaned up in the bathroom and in the kitchen. Old blood mostly. Since you're alive and the police there were satisfied with your finger prints and handwriting analysis, Sam is off the hook for murder. So I guess blood doesn't matter. They chalked it up to all the domestic abuse. While searching through his banking records, they found a lot of money missing. Around three million. Sam Bates is going to take a plea deal. He's going to serve ten years in a minimal security prison."
"My son? Norman?" she asked hopefully.
"More good news!" Larry said happily. "All the stress from the trial had sent Sam's mother into poor health. She is unable to care for him so the state needs you to come and collect your son. He's in a foster care home right now. They'll do a DNA test and want to see your ID, so you better pick it up from evidence. Arizona police might want to fingerprint you again, but… its'; over, Norma."
Arizona Star
August 31st, 2001
Missing Bates woman and son found alive in Oregon. Claiming to have fled abusive husband. Sam Bates arrested for insider trading, embezzlement and fraud of investors and partners.
In a strange twist to a missing persons case this summer, Norma Bates (27) and Dylan Bates (10) are alive and have come forward in an unnamed town in Oregon this past week. Norma and Dylan Bates had been missing since June 22nd, but were not reported missing until two days later by her husband and the boys step-father, Sam Bates.
The two missing persons seemed to have vanished leaving nothing but questions and suspicions in their wake, all pointing to Sam Bates. Investigators soon uncovered an unsavory history of domestic abuse calls, emergency room visits, as well as potentially incriminating banking records.
Sam Bates didn't help matters when he failed to report his wife and step son missing for two days, failed to provide recent pictures, removed carpeting from a potential crime scene, tried to sell his missing wife's SUV as well as other blood evidence left in the house, now believed to be evidence of a sad history of abuse.
Sam Bates was arrested on July 16th when he failed a polygraph and had hired a realtor to sell his home in Arcadia. All things that looked suspicious when his spouse and young step-son were still missing.
The missing Mrs. Bates discovered online that Sam Bates had been under suspicion and arrested for her murder and quickly notified authorities that she and her son Dylan were alive.
Another young child was left in the care of an older relative and will happily be returned to Mrs. Bates now that Sam Bates is awaiting trial for numerous white collar crimes including misleading shareholders and grand theft. All previous murder charges have been dropped.
Mrs. Bates has asked her current home in Oregon remain unnamed in the press to give her and her sons privacy.
~ Norma Bates had never been so happy to see the Arizona State line as when Alex drove over it a few days later. Dylan was content to stay with Oscar and his family and was glad to be making plans for when school started.
"We need to decide what we'll do when we get back home." Alex said taking in all the changes of scenery they had experienced from two days of driving. Norma still didn't have her ID but they would take a plane home when she got it. For now, they would enjoy the peace of the road trip before they got a traumatized six year old.
"Yeah." Norma said. Her only focus was on Norman right now. Her arms ached from not being able to hold him. She'd forgotten the way he smelled and had been terrified for him when she found out he was in a foster home.
"Nick Ford will be coming back next week." Alex told her. "Means we'll have to move out."
"Oh." Norma said. "Yeah. I thought the boys and I could rent a place. We don't need much."
"I was thinking…" Alex said carefully. "I mean, maybe the four of us could get a place together. I mean, rent is expensive in town. If we got a place together-"
"Alex." she sighed. They'd already had this conversation.
"I know." he said. "I know. Baby steps."
"I'm not even divorced yet." she said. "I just want to get my life back. Get my boys feeling safe and normal again before I have… I don't know, a love life."
"I get that." he nodded.
"I need to put them first for a little while." she added sadly. She wished it could be different, but she didn't want to be the kind of mother who so easily allowed a man to come into her life and let him take over. She'd done that with Sam and look what had happened. No, she had plenty of cash still hidden and she could afford to rent a place in town. Maybe even buy a place if that's where she wanted to live.
"What will you do for work?" Alex asked her. She shrugged.
"Larry sent me this letter from some publisher. They want me to write a book about leaving Sam and surviving the abuse. I think I'd like to do that. Just for fun you know? Maybe a cathartic type of thing. For money, I'm not sure yet."
"It might be a good for you." Alex agreed. They passed through the larger city limits and Norma felt anxiety over seeing Norman again after so many months. In the wake of the terror attacks in New York, her story hadn't made big news at all. Even in their small town, she'd already been forgotten for the larger story of terror and a collapsing World Trade Center.
"What if he doesn't remember me?" Norma panicked.
"He'll remember you." Alex told her calmly. "He wouldn't forget you. You're his mother."
She shifted in her seat.
"I just… it's been over three months, Alex." she said.
"It's only been three months." he assured her. "Kids remember their mothers forever, Norma."
~ It seemed to take forever to pick up her ID from the evidence holding at the Arizona police. The men there looking at her cruelly and Norma staring right back at them with a new steel she'd found she'd suddenly had. They didn't like to be stared down like that, and withered away from her.
These men, who had refused to help her before, didn't like her standing up to them now. Didn't like her casting her eyes on them. Cutting them with her eyes. She made a mental note to herself to write that down. That she could hurt these enemies of hers with just her eyes if she wanted to. Hurt them for all the times they refused to look at her when she was crying and bleeding.
Even now, they didn't want to look at her. They didn't look at her the way Alex looked at her. The way the other cops that Alex worked with looked at her. This wasn't her home anymore though. She would leave as soon as she had Norman.
~ Alex drove them next to a family visitation center to collect Norman. All she had to do was show her ID with her horrid old picture, Alex teased her about it, and wait for Norman to arrive. Her little boy had grown a little, gotten a hair cut and new clothes, but other than that, he hadn't changed much.
"Norman!" she cried violently when he ran to her. Her youngest son was never much of a talker and didn't express himself with words now. His face lit up when he saw her and it was clear he remembered her.
~ The man with his mother was very strong and he lifted Norman up, and put him securely in a car seat for the car ride home.
"I got you something, buddy." The man told Norman while his mother was signing papers and talking with other grown ups. She looked pretty now. Her hair was different and she smiled more. She looked like an angel.
Norman looked at the man curiously. His world had been nothing but strangers these past few months and he wanted his mother back with him. But this man was calm and his voice was gentle. Even the way he'd picked him up was gentle and Norman wasn't afraid of him. He presented Norman with a good sized, well made stuffed dog. The kind police men have on TV. It even had a little vest with yellow letters on it.
"It's a police dog." the man told him. "I got it so you'll have a friend on the plane. Someone to keep you safe. So you won't be scared."
He ran a hand over the big yellow letters on the stuffed dog's vest.
"See? It says 'police' on it. Police protect you. It's what I do." the man with the kind voice explained.
Norman liked the big stuffed dog right away. It was practically like having a real dog. It was so life like with it's big brown eyes and the way it sat on it's haunches.
"It's got a tag on its' collar to." the man said. "See? It says 'To Norman, from Alex.' Cuz we're always going to be friends, okay?"
Norman only nodded. He wanted to say more, but he knew from long experience not to speak. Speaking or crying was always bad. Grown ups spoke, or screamed, yelled and cried. The man waited for him to say something, but Norman only focused on the dog. He loved this dog.
"Norman?" his mother was saying. "What do you have there? Can I see it?"
Norman hugged his new dog close to him. He didn't want anyone to take it away. It was his. He didn't even want his mother to see it.
~ Norma sat back in her seat while Alex put the car into drive. She hadn't noticed the stuffed dog Alex had stashed in the trunk for Norman. Hadn't even thought about a present for him until they saw how little and small he was. How much he needed comfort.
She turned to Alex in amazement that he'd thought to give Norman a stuffed animal.
"He won't even let me see it." she complained in amused shock.
"I don't know what to tell you." Alex grinned.
"A police dog?" she asked looking back at her son who was obsessed with his new friend.
"I like police dogs." Alex told her.
She shook her head. She was filled with a sensation of gratitude. Thankfulness that Alex had not just brought Norman the stuffed dog and driven them here, but for everything. For everything he'd done for her and everything he'd been to her.
"I love you." she said simply.
Alex was slightly taken off guard. He'd merged into heavy traffic with all the annoying drivers trying to get home.
"What, you're telling me this now?" he laughed. It was the first time she'd said it to him. The first time she knew she'd meant it to.
"Yeah." she grinned looking at the traffic rush past them.
"Well, I love you to." he admitted. He saw an opening and merged into the right lane that would take them into the airport.
"Norman, we're going to go on a plane. It's going to be a lot of fun." he told the little boy behind him who said nothing.
