## Scene: Cafe in Alborn, MN Sunlight streams through the window of the cozy cafe, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. MARIA (30s, Spanish), sits alone at a table, cradling her camera like a cherished friend. Her brow is furrowed as she stares intently at a photograph on the screen, a troubled expression clouding her usually bright eyes. Suddenly, a shadow falls over her table. MARIA looks up, startled, into the face of HUNTER (35, ruggedly handsome, dressed in a worn leather jacket), a town detective with the no-nonsense look of a man who's seen too much. **Hunter:** "Excuse me, miss. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" Maria jumps slightly, her eyes widening in alarm. She looks at him blankly for a moment, then shakes her head slowly. **Maria:** "Lo siento, no entiendo." Hunter furrows his brow, confused. **Hunter:** "Uh...English?" Maria shakes her head again, her voice trembling slightly. **Maria:** "No hablo inglés. Solo español." Hunter sighs, frustrated. He wasn't expecting a language barrier. He tries to smile reassuringly. **Hunter:** "Right. OK. Do you, uh... speak any English at all?" **Maria:** "Un poco," she whispers, her voice laced with fear. "Pero no mucho. Excuse me," she continues, her voice tinged with emotion, "Pero usted no me parece... ¿Es usted... policía?" Hunter nods slowly. **Hunter:** "Detective. You can call me Hunter. Yes, I'm with the police. Can I sit?" Maria hesitates for a moment, her eyes darting around nervously before she finally nods. **Maria:** "Sí, por favor." Hunter sits down cautiously, sensing that something is deeply troubling the young woman. **Hunter:** "Is everything alright?" he asks, unsure how to translate his question broadly enough to encompass her unusual reaction. **Maria:** "No..." she whispers, her eyes welling with tears. "There was... a woman. Yesterday. In the park. Near the orchard. She was..." She stops abruptly, burying her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. **Hunter:** "Easy, easy," he says soothingly, reaching for a napkin and handing it to her. "What happened?" **Maria:** "She disappeared," she chokes out. "Just... vanished. Like smoke. I saw it happen! I tried to call for help, but..." she trails off, her voice cracking. Hunter's heart skips a beat. This is the kind of lead he's been searching for, a firsthand account of one of the disappearances that have been plaguing this peaceful town. But the language barrier is a frustrating obstacle. Before he can ask her to elaborate, his radio crackles to life. **Radio Voice:** "Detective Hunter, we need you back at the station. New lead on the Peterson case." Hunter sighs, reluctantly standing up. **Hunter:** "Look, I need to go, but... I assure you, we'll get to the bottom of this. Can I come back and talk to you again?" Maria nods tearfully, clutching her camera tightly. Hunter nods, offers a reassuring smile, then turns and walks out of the cafe. Maria watches him go, her heart filled with a fragile hope that someone, anyone, will finally believe her story. **End Scene** ## Voice Sheet **Maria:** * "Lo siento, no entiendo." * "No hablo inglés. Solo español." * "Un poco, pero no mucho." * "Excuse me, pero usted no me parece... ¿Es usted... policía?" * "Sí, por favor." * "No... a woman. Yesterday. In the park. Near the orchard. She was..." * "She disappeared. Just... vanished. Like smoke. I saw it happen! I tried to call for help, but..." **Hunter:** * "Excuse me, miss. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" * "Uh...English?" * "Right. OK. Do you, uh... speak any English at all?" * "Detective. You can call me Hunter. Yes, I'm with the police. Can I sit?" * "Is everything alright?" * "Easy, easy" * "What happened?" * "Look, I need to go, but... I assure you, we'll get to the bottom of this. Can I come back and talk to you again?"