The door handle moved from inside, but the door did not open fully. Peter had already shifted toward the side of the corridor intersection concealed by the corner wall, so anyone leaving the room would not see him without turning far enough to look.The gap widened by several inches, then stopped. Regina’s voice came from inside again, firmer than before, as though she was preventing Bobby from leaving until he gave her an answer she considered sufficient.“You always say later,” Regina said. “The party is not over, her family is still in the hall, and I am still expected to wait like someone who is not allowed to be known.”Bobby answered in a lowered voice. He told Regina not to create trouble in the wrong place and reminded her that too many staff members passed through the corridor.Peter did not move closer. He remained in a position that looked natural for a guest who had just left the restroom, but he was close enough to hear that the conversation had moved beyond an ordinary a

Peter returned to the hall at a safe distance from Regina. He did not approach Sandra immediately because the information he had obtained was too serious to deliver in the middle of a party without an orderly set of facts that could be examined. Bobby had already joined several guests and was speaking as though nothing had happened. Regina stood with another group on the opposite side of the hall, keeping her distance and avoiding any open glance toward Bobby. Peter observed the pattern without hiding. They had entered from different directions, selected different groups, and gave no sign that other guests could interpret as closeness. He then approached an event staff member who was reviewing a room checklist. Peter asked whether the eastern corridor had security cameras. The staff member explained that cameras covered only the public passageways. The interiors of dressing rooms and restrooms were n