## Scene: Alborn Cafe Marie sat in a booth by the window of the cozy Alborn cafe, its warmth a welcome refuge from the crisp autumn air. She cradled her camera in her hands, flipping through the photos she had taken earlier in the day - shimmering rows of apple trees heavy with fruit, winding country roads lined with vibrant crimson and gold leaves, the quaint town square bustling with activity for the annual apple festival. A deep voice interrupted her reverie. "Excuse me, miss, mind if I sit here?" Marie looked up into the stern face of a man with a sharp jawline and the watchful gaze of someone accustomed to authority. She hesitated for a moment, the man's imposing presence unnerving her. HS internal monologue: She's pretty - and young. What’s a girl like her doing in a place like Alborn? Hunter: "I'm looking to ask some questions about something that happened the other night. Did you happen to see anything unusual?" Marie's breath caught in her throat. **"Unusual?"** she repeated in a low, shaky voice, her French accent thick. **"Oui, il y a eu quelque chose de très étrange."** Hunter tilted his head, brow furrowing. He didn't understand a word. HS internal monologue: She seems scared. And she’s speaking some foreign language. I’m not exactly fluent in anything but sarcasm. Hunter: "Uh, sorry, ma'am. I don't... speak...that." He gestured awkwardly at his mouth, hoping to convey his point. Marie’s eyes widened in panic. **"Vous ne comprenez pas? Je... je n'arrive pas à parler anglais."** she stammered, desperation lacing her voice. Hunter scratched his head, feeling utterly stumped. He tried again. “Look, I'm a detective, alright? I’m asking about something that happened this week, maybe you saw something? A car, a person, anything out of the ordinary.” Marie’s eyes darted around the cafe nervously. She took a shaky breath. **"Oui, un homme... il était étrange. Il me regardait," ** she whispered, her voice barely audible. **“Puis... une femme a disparu.”** Hunter felt a knot of dread tighten in his gut. Before he could press further, his phone rang, jolting him back to reality. He glanced at the caller ID; his partner. Hunter: “Sorry, gotta take this.” He answered the call tersely, stepping away from the table. “Johnson, what is it?” **Marie:** "Attendre... s’il vous plaît…" she murmured, clutching her camera tightly. Hunter cast one last, uncertain glance at Marie before turning away, heading outside to take the call, the mystery of the frightened French girl and her cryptic warning swirling in his mind. **Voice Sheet:** **Marie:** * “Unusual?” * "Oui, il y a eu quelque chose de très étrange." * "Vous ne comprenez pas? Je... je n'arrive pas à parler anglais." * "Oui, un homme... il était étrange. Il me regardait," * “Puis... une femme a disparu.” * "Attendre... s’il vous plaît…" **Hunter:** * "Excuse me, miss, mind if I sit here?" * "I'm looking to ask some questions about something that happened the other night. Did you happen to see anything unusual?" * "Uh, sorry, ma'am. I don't... speak...that." * "Look, I'm a detective, alright? I’m asking about something that happened this week, maybe you saw something? A car, a person, anything out of the ordinary.” * “Sorry, gotta take this.”