The bell above the door chimed as Hunter entered the quaint Cafe Hygge, the aroma of cinnamon and coffee swirling around him. His eyes scanned the few patrons, settling on a young woman huddled in a corner booth, her fingers tracing the contours of an aging camera. He approached cautiously, aware of the unspoken air of loss that seemed to cling to her. "Excuse me, ma'am," Hunter began, his voice gruff but tinged with concern. "I'm Detective Hunter. I'm investigating some recent happenings in town, and I was wondering if you might have seen anything unusual lately?" The woman looked up, startled, her blue eyes wide behind round spectacles. She started stammering, her words a rapidcascade of pure German, her voice trembling with an emotion Hunter couldn't decipher. He frowned, helplessly. "I’m sorry, ma'am, I don't speak German,” he admitted, feeling a pang of frustration. She looked down at her hands, her fingers twisting in her lap. With a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of the world, she spoke again, her voice quieter this time, punctuated by soft, muttered German phrases. **Melanie:** "Das ist furchtbar…Zwei verschwunden…Keiner weiß, wo sie sind…Ich habe Angst…" **Hunter:** "Ma'am, I need you to slow down. Can you…do you know anyone who's gone missing?” She shook her head vehemently, her eyes welling up. **Melanie:** “Nein, nein…aber ich habe etwas gesehen…am See…etwas Seltsames…” Hunter leaned forward, hoping to glean some understanding from her frantic gestures. **Hunter:** "Something strange? What did you see?" But before Melanie could respond, his phone jolted him back to reality with the insistent ringing of an incoming call. He glanced at the screen. "Duty calls," he muttered apologetically, gesturing to the phone. "I need to take this. Can I… can I come back and talk to you later?" Melanie nodded silently, her eyes fixed on him with a mixture of fear and pleading. Hunter hesitated for a moment, a sudden urge to understand her veiled message pushing against the weight of his responsibilities. “I promise I’ll come back,” he said, surprised by the sincerity in his voice. Then, with one last concerned glance in her direction, he turned and walked out of the cafe, the ringing of the phone echoing in his ears. **Voice Sheet:** **Melanie:** “Das ist furchtbar…Zwei verschwunden…Keiner weiß, wo sie sind…Ich habe Angst…” *This is awful…Two have disappeared…No one knows where they are…I am afraid…* **Melanie:** “Nein, nein…aber ich habe etwas gesehen…am See…etwas Seltsames…” * No, no...but I saw something… at the lake… something strange…* **Hunter:** "Excuse me, ma'am. I'm Detective Hunter. I'm investigating some recent happenings in town, and I was wondering if you might have seen anything unusual lately?" **Hunter:** "I’m sorry, ma'am, I don't speak German.” **Hunter:** "Ma'am, I need you to slow down. Can you…do you know anyone who's gone missing?” **Hunter:** "Something strange? What did you see?" **Hunter:** "Duty calls. I need to take this. Can I… can I come back and talk to you later?" **Hunter:** “I promise I’ll come back.”