## Scene: Whispers in the Coffee Shop **Setting:** A cozy cafe in Alborn, MN. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and apple pie fills the air. Maria sits by the window, her camera resting on the table beside her, a troubled expression clouding her face. **(Hunter approaches, his brow furrowed with concern. He clears his throat to get Maria’s attention.)** **Hunter:** Excuse me, ma’am? I’m Detective Hunter with the Alborn Police Department. Mind if I ask you a few questions? **(Maria looks up, startled. She fumbles with her camera strap, her eyes wide with apprehension.)** **Maria:** (In Spanish, rapid and laced with anxiety) Lo siento, no entiendo. ¿Habla usted español? (I'm sorry, I don't understand. Do you speak Spanish?) **(Hunter frowns, taken aback by the foreign language. He shakes his head slowly.)** **Hunter:** No, ma’am. Don’t speak a lick. You speak English? **(Maria shakes her head, her anxiety growing. She points to herself and then her camera.)** **Maria:** (Spanish) Maria. Fotos… parque… ayer… (Maria. Photos… park… yesterday…) **(She stumbles over the words, her fingers mimicking taking a picture. Hunter tries to follow, catching "park" and "yesterday." He pulls out a notepad and shows it to her.)** **Hunter:** Park? You take pictures in the park yesterday? **(Maria nods vigorously, relief flooding her features. She points to a picture on her camera display – a blurry shot of a dark figure near the gazebo in the park.)** **Maria:** (Spanish, voice trembling) Hombre… oscuro… corriendo… (Man… dark… running…) **(Hunter leans closer, squinting at the picture. He can barely make out a figure, shrouded in shadows.)** **Hunter:** You see something? Someone acting strange? **(Maria nods fervently, her eyes wide with unspoken fear.)** **(Suddenly, Hunter’s phone rings. He glances at the caller ID and sighs. )** **Hunter:** Duty calls. Look, you stay put, you hear? I’ll be right back. We need to figure this out. **(He flashes a reassuring (though slightly strained) smile and rushes out of the cafe, leaving Maria clutching her camera, her heart pounding with a mixture of fear and confusion.)**