Since arriving in The City the first time around, Norman had grown accustomed to people meeting him with a certain amount of shock and awe. He didn't understand it completely. Mother did. She tried to explain it to her dear sweet boy on a few occasions, but there was something about telling your son that he was a character in a story that never ended well. Norman didn't like to hear it. And it unnerved him to know that so many people knew about Marion Crane. So it just wasn't brought up in the Bates household. It was one of those big no-no subjects.
For a long moment, Norman watched the man as he stared at him. The man seemed to be going through that immediate mental process that everyone did when they recognized Norman. Norman never recognized any of them, however, so the expression was never returned. But he was a good host. He let his customers take their time. He wanted people to stay in his motel, after all. And that was all customer service, customer service, customer service!
And clean linen.
Norman cleared his throat with a cough and set the guest book on the counter.