Holding the cat in one hand, Shade lowered his head as he walked, straightening the wrinkles in his clothes so no one would see his expression. When he looked up again, his peripheral vision swept over the entrance to the corridor connected to the banquet hall, and he suddenly froze:
"Hmm? Did I see that wrong?"
He had not. It was him.
"Oh, my Mia."
Shade groaned softly in his heart and hurried toward the corridor on the 1st Floor.
"Doctor Schneider!"
A few dozen seconds later, he passed through the crowd and reached the corridor. At his soft call, the middle-aged man at the other end of the empty corridor, who had been about to turn the corner, stopped. He turned to look at Shade, and it was indeed Doctor Bill Schneider.
The blue-eyed middle-aged psychiatrist was also dressed impeccably for the banquet. His silk hat and formal attire looked quite distinguished.
"Oh, good evening, Shade."
He stopped and said hello to Shade, not at all surprised that Shade was attending the banquet as well.
"I just heard about what you did—the darts game and the riding competition. Very impressive. It seems your social life is truly colorful."
"Never mind that for now. Doctor, why are you here?"
Shade asked in surprise. He quickly joined him and lowered his voice. He still remembered that summer night, when he had unexpectedly seen Doctor Schneider at Lake View Manor, and then everything had begun.
There was almost no one in the first-floor corridor. There were only some art exhibits here, and the sounds from the courtyard outside were louder than those indoors, so they did not need to worry about being overheard.
"This..."
Doctor Schneider hesitated before finally speaking.
"I'll tell you, but don't tell anyone else."
"Don't worry. I can