The sign on the front door read WELCOME HOME, and a woman swung it open right as I raised my hand to knock. She looked young—clean and fresh like soap—and her smile revealed a dimple in her left cheek. I’d imagined a New Age–looking space with woven tapestries of color hanging on the walls next to framed pictures of women in lotus positions, with their chakras lit up in different colors. Instead, the walls in the lobby were devoid of color. They were a muted beige, completely neutral.

“Welcome, I’m Bekah,” she said breathlessly, like she might have run to the door. Her clothes matched the walls around her—a skirt that flowed past her knees paired with a plain T-shirt, all in various shades of beige. “There’s no need to knock around here. Our doors are always open and unlocked.”

“Thank you,” I said, stepping inside. “I’m Kate.”

She nodded. “I know. We’ve been expecting you.”

“Thanks for taking the time to show me around today.”

“No problem.” She smiled. “It’s my pleasure.”

The set of double doors behind the lobby entrance opened into a wide, expansive room. Everything inside was minimalist, and the room gleamed with order and sterility. The smell of incense and burning candles that I’d expected was nowhere to be found. Instead, the fragrance of Pine-Sol filled the air. Dozens of aluminum chairs were stacked in the back, and a wooden podium stood at the front. There were three doors on the outer walls. Foldout tables dotted the room. Some had white plastic chairs. Others were empty. There was nothing warm or comfortable about the room. No personal touches, but something about it was still inviting.

“What’s behind all the doors?” I asked.

She pointed at the first one on the left. “That one leads to the cafeteria. We serve three meals a day to anyone who shows up.” She pointed to the one next to it. “And that is where all of our detox rooms are.”

“Can I see one?” I asked.

“Sure,” she said.

I hid my shock that she had said yes so quickly. I’d spent most of last night preparing my responses for the defensive and hostile attitude I was sure I’d meet when I tried to dig deep. This was great. I smiled to myself. Leo was going to be so pleased.

She opened the door, revealing a long hallway lined with more doors. She tapped on the middle one on the right side, waiting for a response before stepping inside. I followed her into the cramped space. It wasn’t much larger than my walk-in closet at home. Much like the rooms before, it was simple, clean, and orderly. There was a bed pushed against one wall and a small sink against the other.

“How do you detox people here?” I asked. Where was all the medical equipment? They at least had to be able to give people fluids, didn’t they?

She pointed around the room like I was missing something. “We detox in this room.”