The Centre for Wellness and Intelligence was listed as a referral facility, privately run and uncertified. They left Krystal’s car at the crime scene and headed east toward the facility. “Never been out here, in this area” Krystal said.

“I haven’t, either.”

“Beautiful,” she said.

“Peaceful.”

“Hmmm.”

While Min Ho drove, Krystal glanced at the notebook where she’d jotted down notes from a conversation she’d had with the director of CWI, Sister Kim Mi-Kyung.

“Something strange about her.”

“The director?”

“Krystal stared ahead. “There’s our road.” Min Ho slowed, turned, and headed the car down the road Krystal. “Isolated.”

“I think that’s the idea. It’s a privately run facility for families or patients who can afford a high fee. Used to be a convent run by nuns.”

“It’s religious?”

“Actually, I’m not sure. Wouldn’t surprise me; health care administered by the Catholic Church has a strong history.”

“You said she was strange.”

Krystal nodded. “Maybe strange is the wrong word. Don’t get me wrong, she was delighted to have us. She just sounded rather strange.”

“Maybe she has a little of what they have,” Min Ho said, then added so that he didn’t sound demeaning, “Maybe we all do.”

“She said they only accept patients who display exceptional intelligence.”

Min Ho wasn’t sure what to make of that.

“They rounded a bend and saw the large gated entrance immediately. A white sign above the heavy metal gates left no doubt: THE CENTRE FOR WELLNESS AND INTELLIGENCE.

A high fence ran in both directions away from the gate, complete with barbed wire and charged lines. Beyond lay a long paved driveway bordered by manicured lawns and tall pine trees. Min Ho chuckled appreciatively. The Centre for Wellness and Intelligence might be mistaken for an upscale resort.

He rolled up to the guardhouse and presented his identification. “Lee Min Ho and Jung Krystal here to see Kim Mi-Kyung.”

The uniformed man with a badge nodded and checked his log sheet. Min Ho indicated the barbed wire. “Nice fence.”

“It’s not as threatening as it looks.” The guard handed the IDs back. “They installed the barbed wire and monitors last year after someone broke in and two of the residents.”

He hit a switch and the gates rolled back. “Head up the driveway, visitor parking to the left. You’ll find Sister Mi-Kyung in the reception room.”

““Thank you.”

“No problem.” He sat down and picked up his phone, probably to report their arrival.

They rolled past the trees toward a circular driveway that rounded a white stone fountain. To their right, a woman wearing a yellow flowered dress and a large sun hat was t bushes that had been sculpted into perfectly formed poodles, a larger one trailed by three smaller puppies. She waved as they passed, then stopped to watch them.

“Nice,” Min Ho said.

“Very nice.”

“Is she…”

“Clearly.”

He pulled into a parking spot reserved for visitors and stepped out into clean, cool mountain air. Birds chirped above them. A loud, distant voice carried to them from deeper inside the compound. With a glance back, Min Ho met the eyes of the woman in yellow, who was still staring at him with fixed interest.

She must have mistaken his glance as an invitation, because the moment she saw his look, she started to walk toward them.

Krystal got out and the woman stopped in her tracks, looking from one to the other. Cheerful and harmless looking, she was maybe in her sixties, with gray hair and bright eyes.

Her eyes settled on Min Ho. “You are very wonderfully built. I could do you, right here in the bushes. Would you pose for me? You like my poodles? I started on them this morning. I love dogs and I love pigeons but it takes twenty-seven pigeons to fill one poodle. Poodles aren’t like rats, because rats breed quickly and eat crackers. My favorite crackers are sodium-free.”

She said it all with a warm smile.

“Thank you, Sunny.” Another older looking woman, probably in her early fifties, had appeared from the administration building. She was dressed in jeans and a white blouse. Three silver chains, one supporting a rhinestone-studded cross, hung from her neck. She looked like someone who fully intended to take what life owed her, but she managed to pull it off without appearing gaudy.

“I think this kind gentleman would look wonderful on our front lawn. What a nice offer.” She looked at Min Ho with knowing eyes and winked. “What do you say, Mr.Lee? It would only take her half an hour, she’s quite skilled.”

He was caught off-guard. This must be Sister Mi-Kyung, somehow he expected a nun.

“Ani?” she asked. “We’re in a bit of a rush, are we?”

“Actually, yes, we are a bit pressed for time.” Min Ho found his voice.

The administrator addressed Sunny, who stared motionless, awaiting a decision. “I’m sorry, he’s in a hurry. Can you do him from memory?”

A grin flashed on sunny’s face, and she spun away without another word. She marched toward the hedges, stopped after ten paces, and measured him up using her hands to approximate his height and dimensions, then continued in a brisk stride.

“Welcome to CWI,” Sister Mi-Kyung said. “Please come with me.”

She led them into what looked more like a living room than a reception area. A few residents loitered about the grounds, some dressed in jeans, others in slacks, one in what appeared to be night clothes or a smock.

She faced them. “Would you like to sit inside, or would you rather wander the grounds with me?”

“Well…” Min Ho still felt oddly off balance.

“They won’t bite, Special Agent Lee. My children are rarely violent.”

“Rarely?”

“Well, come on – we all like to throw a tantrum now and then.”

Min Ho nodded at the lawn. “After you, then.”

“A good choice.” She turned and pushed open a glass door. “We are very proud of our home.” A light breeze rustled through the massive maples leaves above them. The setting was entirely serene. Calming.

“So, Mr. Lee, tell me how I can help you.”

“This is Krystal – ”

“A forensic psychologist who works with you, yes, she told me. I suspect she knows more than most about what goes on here.” She paused. “You’re looking for a killer?”

He felt an oddly unsettling sensation. Being stared at. He glanced around and saw that indeed, all eyes from the residents standing or sitting about the grounds were now fixed on them. It struck Min Ho that he and Krystal were the spectacle in the zoo at the moment, not the other way around. To the residents’ way of thinking, he was the intrusion into their perfectly normal world.

“A pattern killer we’ve dubbed the Bride Killer. He’s taken four women in the last month. We believe he intends to take three more. Our team cross-referenced a note he left with mental health care providers in the state and found a connection to your facility.”

“Residence,” she said. “And please don’t use the terms patient or mentally ill around them. It doesn’t sit well with them.” She smiled and winked. “May I see it?”

“See what?”

“The note.”

Min Ho caught Krystal’s inquisitive eye. She seemed fascinated. Perhaps amused. He withdrew a copy from his pocket and handed it to the administrator. She read it as she strolled, then handed it back. Her smile softened, but he noted that her eyes had brightened.

“How does he kill them?” she asked.

“We haven’t shared any of this with – ”

“You can trust me not to let anything out Agent”

Min Ho pondered and sighed. “All right. It seems that he takes women he considers beautiful, fixes them up to appear without flaw, and then drills into their heels. He glues them to the wall and lets them bleed to death.”

“Omo. That’s a ghastly image. The note would suggest classic schizophrenia. What makes you think he’s highly intelligent?”

Krystal responded. “Despite apparent delusions of grandeur indicated by his note, he’s clearly capable of avoiding the typical mistakes in cases like this. If not for the note, we wouldn’t at first focus on anyone with a history of mental illness. As you probably know, most pattern killers aren’t mentally ill.”

“Then apart from his use of the words centre and intelligence, you have no reason to suspect any connection to the centre,” Sister Mi-Kyung said.

She pointed to a round building across the lawn. “That’s our hub. Game room, gathering room, television, the cafeteria, it’s all centrally located. On either side are two wings, one reserved for men, one for women. We run a structured schedule and environment to help our residents avoid any confusion. Our primary objective is to facilitate their reintegration by helping the