She planned to convince Marion to return the money to her employer, so that he won't press charges.

Shortly after her arrival, a private investigator hired by Marion's employer, Milton Arbogast (Martin Balsam), also comes into contact with her and Sam.

This prompts Sam and Lila to pose as a married couple in order to get a room at the motel to investigate without arousing the suspicion of the owner, Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins).

Norman gets a job at a local diner, where he meets a coworker, a young woman named Mary (Meg Tilly).

Later, it is revealed that Mary is Lila's daughter, and that they are trying, by dressing up as Norman's mother and leaving notes and calls claiming to be her, to drive him insane and get him recommitted.

Lila angrily rebukes her daughter, and sneaks to Norman's fruit cellar to put on her "Mother" costume.

Lila appears in the 1992 three-issue comic book adaptation of the 1960 film Psycho, released by Innovation Publishing.