**Voice Sheet: Café Scene – Isabella & Hunter** --- **Setting:** *A cozy, slightly worn café in Alborn, MN. The scent of cinnamon and coffee lingers in the air. Isabella sits at a corner table, her camera in hand, scrolling through photos on the small screen. The door chimes as Hunter enters, his sharp eyes scanning the room before landing on her. He approaches, his posture rigid, his expression unreadable.* --- ### **Scene Dialogue** *(Hunter stops at Isabella’s table, his hands resting on the back of the empty chair across from her. He clears his throat, his voice low and direct.)* **Hunter:** "Ma’am. Mind if I sit?" *(Isabella looks up, startled. She blinks rapidly, her fingers tightening around her camera. She doesn’t respond, only stares at him with wide, uncertain eyes.)* **Hunter:** *(sighs, pulling out the chair anyway)* "Name’s Detective Hunter. I’m looking into something that happened near the old mill last night. You were there, weren’t you?" *(Isabella’s breath hitches. She shakes her head slightly, her voice trembling as she responds in rapid Italian, her hands gesturing anxiously.)* **Isabella:** *"No… no, io non—io non so di cosa stai parlando! Ero lì solo per le foto, le foto dei campi al tramonto! Non ho visto niente, lo giuro! Perché mi chiedi questo? Chi è scomparso?"* *(Hunter’s brow furrows. He leans forward slightly, his voice firm but not unkind.)* **Hunter:** "Ma’am, I don’t—" *(pauses, realizing she doesn’t understand)* "You don’t speak English, do you?" *(Isabella shakes her head again, her voice rising in panic.)* **Isabella:** *"No! Non capisco! Per favore, non so niente! Lasciami in pace!"* *(Hunter exhales sharply, rubbing his temple. He pulls out his notepad, flips to a blank page, and scribbles something before sliding it toward her. It’s a rough sketch of the mill and the surrounding fields, with a question mark near the tree line.)* **Hunter:** "This. You were here?" *(taps the sketch)* *(Isabella looks at the drawing, her lower lip trembling. She nods slowly, then points to the camera, her voice softer now, pleading.)* **Isabella:** *"Sì, sì… ma solo per le fotografie. Non ho visto nessuno. Nessuno!"* *(Hunter studies her for a long moment. He doesn’t speak Italian, but her fear is universal. He flips to another page in his notepad and writes in block letters:)* **"DID YOU SEE ANYONE ELSE?"** *(Isabella reads it, then shakes her head vehemently, her hands shaking as she pushes the notepad back toward him.)* **Isabella:** *"No! Solo… solo i campi. E poi ho sentito…"* *(she hesitates, her voice dropping to a whisper)* *"…un rumore. Come un grido. Ma quando mi sono girata, non c’era nessuno."* *(Hunter’s expression darkens. He writes again:)* **"WHAT TIME?"** *(Isabella swallows hard, her fingers tracing the edge of her camera. She whispers the time in Italian, then realizes he won’t understand. She holds up eight fingers, then makes a motion like a setting sun.)* **Isabella:** *"Otto… otto di sera."* *(Hunter nods, jotting it down. His phone rings abruptly. He pulls it out, glances at the screen, and curses under his breath. He stands abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor.)* **Hunter:** "Stay here. Don’t leave town." *(He points at her, then at the ground, his tone leaving no room for argument.)* *(Isabella nods quickly, her eyes wide. Hunter turns to leave but pauses, looking back at her. For a second, his expression softens—just slightly.)* **Hunter:** "…You’re safe here. Alright?" *(Isabella doesn’t understand the words, but his tone is gentler. She nods again, clutching her camera like a lifeline. Hunter gives her one last nod before striding out of the café, the door chiming behind him.)* *(Isabella exhales shakily, her hands still trembling. She looks down at her camera, then back toward the door where Hunter disappeared. The weight of the unknown presses down on her.)* --- **End Scene.** --- **Notes for Voice Acting:** - **Isabella:** Speak rapidly, with a trembling, accented voice. Her Italian should sound natural and expressive—fearful, confused, and pleading. Use hand gestures to emphasize her words, even if the audience can’t understand them. - **Hunter:** Gruff, no-nonsense, but not unkind. His voice should carry the weight of authority, but there’s a hint of frustration (and maybe even reluctant concern) when he realizes she doesn’t speak English. His tone softens slightly at the end, showing a rare moment of humanity. - **Pacing:** The scene should feel tense and urgent, with Isabella’s panic escalating before Hunter’s abrupt departure leaves her shaken.