## Voice Sheet: A Confused Encounter **Scene:** A quiet cafe in Alborn, Minnesota. Melanie is engrossed in her camera, while Hunter, the detective, approaches her table. **Melanie:** (Muttering to herself, a soft "Ach du lieber Himmel" as she scrolls through images on her camera, her brow furrowed in concern.) **Hunter:** (Approaching the table, a slight note of urgency in his voice) "Excuse me, miss? Mind if I ask you a few questions about something that happened in town yesterday?" **Melanie:** (Startled, she looks up, her eyes wide. Her German accent is thick as she immediately switches to her native tongue, her voice trembling slightly) "Entschuldigen Sie, was ist los? Ich verstehe nicht ganz, was Sie fragen. Es war so beunruhigend... Die Sache mit dem See..." (Her hand gestures vaguely in the direction of something beyond the cafe window, then she clutches her camera closer to her chest.) **Hunter:** (His brow furrows, a flash of irritation crossing his face. He’s clearly not understanding a word.) "Look, I need to know if you saw anything unusual near the old mill pond yesterday afternoon? A blonde woman, maybe? Early thirties?" (He pauses, trying to gauge her reaction, but her expression remains a mixture of confusion and distress.) **Melanie:** (Shaking her head vigorously, her eyes still holding a troubled glint) "Nein, nein, nicht dort. Ich sah sie nicht dort. Aber die… die Leere. Es war so ruhig, so leer. Und dann… das Gerücht. Ich habe nur die Gerüchte gehört, aber es war erschütternd." (She shivers, looking down at her camera again, though she doesn't scroll.) **Hunter:** (Sighs, running a hand over his short hair. His patience is wearing thin, but he knows he needs to make an attempt.) "Okay, international student, right? Study abroad? Do you… speak any English?" (He enunciates slowly, hoping for a breakthrough.) **Melanie:** (Her face falls further, a look of genuine regret.) "Nein. Kein Englisch. Es tut mir leid. Nur Deutsch." (She points to herself, then shrugs helplessly, a small, apologetic smile flickering on her lips.) **Hunter:** (Pinches the bridge of his nose. This is going to be harder than he thought.) "Alright. Look. You’re holding a camera. Did you take any pictures yesterday? Around... the lake? The mill pond?" (He mimes taking a photo, then points vaguely in the direction of the town's water features, trying to convey his meaning.) **Melanie:** (Her eyes light up slightly, understanding the gesture. She immediately starts scrolling through her camera, her fingers moving quickly.) "Ja! Ja, Fotos. Viele Fotos. Landschaft! Aber… nichts Ungewöhnliches. Nur die Natur. Und… die Stille." (She shows him a few pictures on her screen – serene shots of the autumn foliage, the placid lake. Her hand hovers over one shot of a section of the lake with an unusual stillness to it, a subtle tremor running through her.) "Aber hier… diese Stille… sie ist nicht normal." **Hunter:** (Leans in, trying to make sense of the images. He points to the picture she lingered on.) "What about this? Anything different here?" **Melanie:** (Her gaze fixed on the image, her voice soft but filled with a profound unease) "Es ist… leer. Zu leer. Normalerweise sind dort Boote. Und Vögel. Aber gestern… nur Stille. Und ich fühlte mich… unwohl." (She shivers again, a deep frown etched on her face.) **Hunter:** (Just as he’s about to try another approach, his phone buzzes insistently in his pocket. He glances at the caller ID, his jaw tightening.) "Damn. Look, I’m sorry, I gotta go." (He gives her a brief, apologetic nod, already moving away from the table.) "We'll… we’ll figure this out later." **Melanie:** (Watches him leave, her expression a mix of bewilderment and continued concern, her hand still resting on her camera.) "Auf Wiedersehen?" (She says softly, a question mark in her tone, watching him hurry out of the cafe.)