Chapter Five - K-Ching!

Norma waited till the next morning to call the police. She had worked out the story about the fight and that he had stormed off afterwards. She had told them how she waited up all night, tried his cell many times and had gone out looking for him at one point. The police were really no help as they told her he had to be "missing" for forty-eight hours before they could file a report.

'He'll be missing a lot longer than that!' Norma Jean cackled in Norma's head. 'Quiet you, I can't act like the worried housewife if you make me laugh!'

"No officer, I understand. Yes, I will let you know. I am so worried! Please can we get the ball rolling on this?" Norma said into the phone, trying to sound like she meant ever word. "Yes, I understand the procedures, I just don't agree with them. Yes, I do have a friend to call, thank you. I will, uh huh, okay, goodbye."

After she hung up, she looked around the kitchen one more time making sure she disposed of every piece of Bert along with cleaning everything up. She had studied how to make a murder look like nothing, like the person just "disappeared" and she had the chemicals to get rid of any trace of blood even with the special spray and black lights the police used.

Satisfied with the kitchen, she headed into the bathroom. She had chopped Bert's body into little pieces and the blended his remains and bones in the blender, flushing every piece of him down to the sewer. "Rest in piece you shit," she whispered as she checked to make sure everything was clean. "No one will suspect a thing."

She decided to wait to call Hector till the following day, she knew he had witnessed some of the fight and didn't want him to be the one that got suspicious. Not that he would, he'd never seen her get angry like she had with Bert. Hector didn't bring out Norma Jean quite as easily and Bert had. Instead she played with Clarice and made sure the baby was happy. She knew her birthday was coming soon and time would be a lot less Norma's and a lot more Clarice's when that happened.

The following morning Norma woke early, she felt alive and happy for once in her life. She couldn't explain it, she just felt it. She waited till eight o'clock to call Hector and tell him what was going on. She knew Lailia would be at work by then and Hector could come over.

He did just what she expected. Not a half hour later he was at her house. She ran down the stairs to him tears in her eyes. She'd been working getting those just right for the past two days.

"Oh Hector! He left us!" Norma cried as she ran into Hector's arms. 
"There, there mi amor, Hector will take care of you," Hector coo'ed, she actually love it when he spoke Spanish to her.

"You are better off without that cheating Bastard. He should rot in hell." Hector told her as he pulled her back looking at her tear streaked face. 
"What are we to do? We depended on his income, I can't be alone!" Norma said, a fresh batch of tears streaming down her face. "You have Lailia, I have no one now!"
"Mi Amor, you know Lailia and I have our troubles, don't you worry. In fact, I took your advice, I am moving out." Hector said, trying to sooth Norma. He hated to see his love so sad.

 "You are," Norma choked out, "but I thought you said you were not ready to leave her?"
"Ah, but I changed my mind. Am I not allowed to do so? I love you Norma Bates, I want to make you happy."
"I love you too Hector." Norma said as she pulled him into another hug. 
"So. I was thinking, if Bert is really gone, why don't I move in here with you and Clarice? She needs a father in her life, and you mi amor, need a man." Hector proposed. 
"Oh Hector, that is a wonderful idea! I love you so much!" Norma said. 'Yes, yes, move in with us! We will figure out your demise next!' Norma Jean said inside Norma's head. Norma ignored her, she wasn't so sure, she actually liked Hector.

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Time passed and the cops finally put Bert's case as a cold case. They said that he probably just left her and Clarice like a coward and didn't want to spend anymore man power or time looking for him.

Norma and Hector settled into a nice route and Norma felt like her life could maybe take a different turn. Maybe she didn't have to kill to be happy, to feel satisfied. Maybe she just needed to meet the right man? Norma Jean however never seemed satisfied and the longer time went on, the more Norma Jean screamed at Norma. 'How can you do this to me! I want to kill him! Let me out! You are evil, do not let that man fool you! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!'

Norma ignored Norma Jean as much as she could, even to the point of not answering her. Norma Jean never fully went away, but the screaming turned more into sinister whispered and promises. Promises that Norma wouldn't be able to control her forever, that one day Norma's guard would be down and Norma Jean would come out to play again. This time it might not just be Hector she got a hold of.

Because of the threats, Norma was always on high alert. She didn't sleep well, thinking Norma Jean could come out while Norma slept, fulfilling the threats she had given. Norma was starting to be exhausted. When Clarice's birthday rolled around, Norma didn't even have enough energy to have a party. Just her, Hector and Clarice, it was easiest that way.

 "Woooo! Yay! Clarice is going to be a big girl!" Hector screamed and blew on the noise maker as Norma blew out the candles. "Wooooooo Clarice!" 
"Knock it off! I can't take it anymore! The noise is annoying! You are annoying! If you blow on that fucking thing one more time I am going to wrap my hands around your throat until you are making squeaking noises! Get it! Shut the fuck up!" Norma lost it and screamed at Hector.

 'What the hell?' Hector thought, 'she must really be exhausted.'

Norma turned to watch her daughter, trying to ignore Hector and his noise blower. She was so beautiful and Norma couldn't have been prouder. She handed Clarice her present and Clarice took to it right away.

"I named him Lecter and he will be your friend," Norma told the little girl. She knew she couldn't answer her back yet, but soon she would be able to.

The next day Hector had a surprise of his own for his girls. He never told Norma that he was rich, nor had he ever told her what he had planned to do with his money. He knew she was saving up to buy her old family motel back, and so he decided to help her out. A loan of coarse, nothing really hers till she paid him back.

"I have a surprise for you," he stated after Norma got out of the shower. 
"You do? Where?" she said, excited as she never got surprises. 
"Get Clarice and I'll show you," he replied, giving Norma a kiss.

They got into his car and drove. She had no idea where he was taking them, but the excitement built the longer they drove. They started to head downtown but when they didn't stop, Norma was more curious. 'Where was he talking me?' she asked herself.

Turning onto Lakeside Drive, Norma recognized the motel. "What are you doing?" she asked curiously. Why had he brought her here? 
"Now just let me explain." he said as he pulled up to the motel and parked. "I know how you have been saving to buy back your families motel and old house. I knew you were not with me for my money when in all these months you haven't asked about it. Well Norma, I bought the motel for you. Now before you get too excited it is not really yours yet. The money is a loan and the deed will be put in both our names with the stipulation you pay me back. We just need to go down to the bank to work out the rest of the details." Hector told her, looking at her for her reaction.

'The bastard!' Norma Jean screamed, and Norma herself had a hard time holding back. Who the hell did he think he was! Buying her motel from under her! He knew she didn't have the money to pay him back! How was she ever going to! 'Kill him! Before it is finalized!' 'No, that would look too suspicious!' 'I don't care, kill him now!' Norma and Norma Jean argued for a little while about Hector's fate. 'No, we'll play along, then we will make him suffer. Just like we did Bert. We need his money and the motel is ours!'

"Norma? Say something, please." Hector said touching her arm and pulling her out of her thoughts. 
"Oh Hector! What a sweet thing to do! I love it!" Norma replied, kissing Hector on the mouth and getting out of the car.
Hector grabbed Clarice and walked over to the long steps on the side of the motel. "See Clarice. this is where you will grow up. Won't that be fun!" he said as he put her down and kissed her forehead.

He didn't see Norma behind him plotting his demise already.

"Grab Clarice and I'll go air out the house!" Hector said as he started to sprint up the stairs. 
"Grab Clarice... Clarice, he's right, this is all ours, but it won't be his for long." Norma said as she looked at her daughter with an evil look.

After Hector got the house aired out, and Norma was able to finally look around the Bates House, they headed down to the bank to finalize the deal. Norma would pay back Hector in monthly installments. Installments she could afford if she sold her small little house. It would do for now. She was determined to get married to him and own it all before anything really took place.

That night, after they unpacked some of their stuff, Norma fell asleep in new bedroom. She felt at piece with her decision and Norma Jean seemed to be satisfied. Why had she ever thought she could actually love someone from this town.