At about this time, a series of brutal murders occur that bear a similarity to the ones Norman committed years before.

By now, Norman has begun his murder spree anew, keeping and communicating with Mrs. Spool's preserved corpse in the same way he had with Mrs. Bates.

A reporter named Tracy Venable (Roberta Maxwell) comes to Fairvale to investigate the murders, and quickly suspects Norman.

Eventually, an itinerant musician named Duane Duke (Jeff Fahey) discovers the truth about Mrs. Spool.

Mrs. Spool was also played by Kurt Paul, who was Claudia Bryar's stunt-in for the murder scenes in Psycho II.