Run: 2026-02-08-01KGYX9NGF7698KS0CF9G3DFB8

Marie: "..." Hunter: "..." Hunter: "Excuse me, miss. I'm Detective Hunter with the Alborn Police Department. Mind if I join you for a moment?" Marie: "Pardon ?" (Pardon?) Hunter: "I'm investigating the disappearance of Mr. Henderson from the bookstore. A witness said they saw a woman with a camera near the alley that day. That you?" Marie: "Monsieur Henderson... ? Mon Dieu. Je... je ne sais pas." (Mr. Henderson...? My God. I... I don't know.) Hunter: "Ma'am, I don't understand what you're saying. Do you speak English? English?" Marie: "Non... je suis désolée. Je ne parle pas l'anglais." (No... I'm sorry. I don't speak English.) Hunter: "Right. Okay." (He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. He points to her camera.) "Camera. Photos. Did you see anything? In the alley?" Marie: "Je prenais des photos... du paysage. Les feuilles d'automne. Elles étaient si belles." (I was taking photos... of the landscape. The autumn leaves. They were so beautiful.) Hunter: "Look, I get it. It's a nice town. But did you see anything? Anyone? A man?" Marie: "Il y avait... un bruit. Un cri. Je pensais que c'était un oiseau, mais... mais ce n'en était pas un." (There was... a noise. A scream. I thought it was a bird, but... but it wasn't one.) Hunter: "A scream? You heard a scream? Why didn't you call it in?" (He looks at her, his expression a mix of confusion and growing impatience.) Marie: "J'avais peur! J'étais seule! Je ne comprends pas ce que vous voulez!" (I was scared! I was alone! I don't understand what you want!) Hunter: "I'm trying to understand *you*." (He gestures emphatically between them.) "I need to know what you saw. It's important." Marie: "Je ne l'ai pas vu! Pas clairement! C'était juste... une ombre. Rapide. Et puis... rien." (I didn't see him! Not clearly! It was just... a shadow. Fast. And then... nothing.) Hunter: "A shadow. Great. A shadow in a town of three thousand people." (He runs a hand over his face, clearly frustrated.) Marie: "C'est tout ce que je sais! Je suis désolée!" (That's all I know! I'm sorry!) (She looks down at her camera, her hands trembling slightly.) Hunter: "Hey, hey. Calm down. I'm not accusing you of anything." (His tone softens slightly, the ex-Marine recognizing genuine fear.) "I just need to figure out what happened." Marie: "Regardez..." (Look...) (She turns the camera on and scrolls through the photos, stopping on one.) "C'est... c'est peut-être sur la photo. L'arrière-plan." (It's... it's maybe on the photo. The background.) Hunter: "The photo? Let me see." (He reaches for the camera, but his phone rings. He answers it, annoyed.) "Hunter. ... Yeah? ... I'm on my way." (He hangs up and looks at Marie, who is watching him with wide, frightened eyes.) "I have to go. We're not done here. Don't leave town." Marie: "Attendez! Monsieur! L'appareil photo!" (Wait! Sir! The camera!) Hunter: "I'll be back for the camera. Stay put." (He turns and walks out of the cafe, leaving Marie staring after him, clutching her camera to her chest.)