Dr.NoH 후아유?

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A murderer's mind is one thing. A psychopath's mind is another. One had to accept the eventuality that perhaps a serial killer had no other motifs other than having fun. The idea was something doctors and profilers refuted.

No one wanted to acknowledge some people killed for the love of it. Doctor Noh recognized the theory, but as a profiler, people expected her to reassure by providing logical answers that most could accept.

"I know you've been looking at the murders, but what you need to be looking at is the man, his behavior. What do you know about him? I chose you because we all have different backgrounds, ate different food, and didn't get the same education. These elements influence the way we see Stein, but we must all be on the same wavelength right now to catch him. So what do we know?"

"He must be in his fifties," Sung Min said.

"Why?" Dr. Noh fired.

"Because he probably started killing in his twenties."

"That's what the police said, but Stein could have started killing in his thirties," Se Ra said.

"In that case, does any of you think a 70-year-old man is capable of killing so many many people in 2016?" Dr. Noh pursued.

"Perhaps Stein has help from someone. I mean, there are Stein fans and copycats."

"Okay, do you think he is Korean?"

"Yes, it's obvious. I mean, a foreigner can't stay thirty years in Korea. Serial killers usually kill within their race. There are a few exceptions, but Stein is Korean."

"Okay, why do you think Stein is a man?" The doctor asked.

The gazes shifted from one to another.

"He killed twenty women," Se Ra said.

"But he also killed men, and the number of women he murdered is eighteen. Two victims' bodies have never been found. For all we know, they could be somewhere on a beach in Macau."

This fact was actual; Mun Min Ju and Pang Bo Ra respectively disappeared in 1982, and 1986 were still missing.

"I say he's a man; he began killing women, perhaps by fascination most men do," Se Ra said.

Dr. Noh nodded, "good, but Stein has never abused any victim. He did begin with murdering women, and he has killed more women than men.

"Since Stein doesn't abuse, does that mean he wasn't abused as a child? I mean, we all know that abuse and neglect are the first influencing factors of a serial killer's life.

The room was silent at detective Gwak's first sign of investment.

Gwak threw a threatening stare in Sung Min's direction, "what are you looking at?"

"Oh, detective Gwak you've decided to join us. If you do, please stop picking on Sung Min. You must control your inferiority complex; by all means, I'm against bullying," the doctor said, making a moe face.

The remark made everybody reflect Sung Min was the lowest ranking officer, and the detective seemed to enjoy taking his nerves out on him, knowing he couldn't do the same with the others.

"You are right though, we can't say Stein was once a victim of abuse, but there can be some other psychological trauma. The victim's bodies are always clean. We have never found any indication of malnutrition; he feeds and takes care of them as if they were mice. The only signs of struggle found are the ones they inflicted themselves, probably in attempts to break free.

"What can we say about his intelligence?"

"He is brilliant; he studied medicine."

"He probably started to train for the brain surgeries with the amputations," Sung Min added.

"Apart from medical school, where else could he acquire such skills?"

"The army, if he was on the field, he could learn that," Seung Woo said.

"Why do you think he does the surgeries?"

"He's fascinated by the human body."

"No, the brain," Seung Woo added.

"Why? None of the victims suffer from cerebral pathologies. Some were asthmatic, diabetic, and one victim had lung cancer."

"He's trying to find something?"

"What do you think that is?"

Silence.

"Okay, what can e say about the victims."

"From 1980-1986, he killed women between age 15-25."

"Why?"

"Women fascinated him, puberty, hormones?"

"Then this would mean perhaps he was younger than twenty when he started to kill. Maybe 17-18?

"That's young," Sung Min said.

"There's no age limit when it comes to killing. A six-year-old could kill a baby just by covering the baby's face with a stuffed teddy bear. It's not premeditated, but it's a homicide," the doctor said.

One could read disgust on all the faces except the doctor's, whose face remained neutral as she pursued. "Stein killed nine men, three women, the second time."

"Comparing, when you're experimenting. You have to compare; otherwise, you can't say your theory is true," Seung Woo's hands firmly clutched, thinking of his sister. Eun Seol was in the second batch, Seung felt nauseous, yet he contained himself.

The doctor grinned.

"Personality, what do we know?"

Se Ra began, "he's methodical."

"Clean, probably a neat freak," Sung Min added.

"Manipulative."

"Calm, patient."

The professor's marker squeaked on the transparent board as she noted what everyone said.

"So Stein is a man between 50-70 years old, Korean, well educated, studied medicine. He doesn't kill to satisfy sexual desires; he has no moral compass. Is he nonsocial or asocial?"

"He's none of those; he lives a normal life. He probably has a family."

"We will never find him."

"Now, let me tell you what I know Stein is not a doctor, but the profession he has allows him to meet potential victims. Our culprit is charismatic, probably has a job with high responsibilities, and people appreciate him. Stein does the surgeries, but he has backup for sure. He will not make a mistake because he isn't killing for glory, Stein doesn't need recognition, and he is meticulous."

Dr. Noh explained her theories, and the more the officers answered, the more they understood Stein's pattern was in front of them all along. He killed someone from every socio-professional category. He touched every layer of society in search of something. The only population Stein didn't kill was the under 15 and foreigners.

Why?

Seung Woo was sure he would kill children someday if he looked for a scientific answer to some strange theory.

"What if he's doing it for fun? I mean, can't fun be a reason?" Gwak said. His voice cut in on Seung Woo's reflection.

The doctor smiled, "who knows."

Seung Woo's blood boiled; he could accept any theory concerning Stein except the one which put forth amusement as a motif.