**Voice Sheet: Café Scene – Marie & Hunter** *(Setting: A quiet, cozy café in Alborn, MN. Marie sits at a corner table, her camera in hand, scrolling through recent photos. The hum of soft jazz plays in the background. Hunter, in his usual no-nonsense demeanor, approaches her table. He pulls out a chair and sits down without waiting for an invitation.)* --- ### **Scene Dialogue** **HUNTER** *(direct, no preamble)* You were at the old mill last night, right? The one by the river? *(Marie looks up, startled. Her fingers tighten around her camera. She doesn’t answer immediately, just stares at him with wide, uneasy eyes.)* **MARIE** *(shaken, in rapid French)* Quoi ? Non—je… je ne comprends pas. Pourquoi vous me demandez ça ? *(What? No—I… I don’t understand. Why are you asking me this?)* *(Hunter frowns, clearly not following. He leans forward slightly, elbows on the table.)* **HUNTER** You *were* there. I saw you. Late. Around midnight. **MARIE** *(voice trembling, still in French)* Je… je prenais juste des photos. *(I… I was just taking pictures.)* C’était pour mon projet d’études. *(It was for my study project.)* Pourquoi est-ce que c’est important ? *(Why does that matter?)* *(Hunter exhales sharply through his nose, rubbing his temple. He pulls out a small notepad and flips it open.)* **HUNTER** Look, I don’t speak French. But I *do* know you were the last person seen near that mill before someone went missing. Again. *(Marie’s breath hitches. She shakes her head, her dark curls bouncing with the motion.)* **MARIE** *(frantic, in French)* Non, non, non—je n’ai rien vu ! *(No, no, no—I didn’t see anything!)* Je suis partie avant minuit, je le jure ! *(I left before midnight, I swear!)* *(Hunter watches her, his expression unreadable. He taps his pen against the notepad.)* **HUNTER** You’re gonna have to talk to me in *English*, or this isn’t gonna work. **MARIE** *(desperate, switching to broken English, struggling)* I… no English. *Désolée.* *(Sorry.)* I… take picture. Only picture. *(Hunter sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. He flips his notepad shut and pulls out his phone instead, typing something quickly. After a moment, he turns the screen toward her—a blurry security camera still of a figure near the mill, timestamped 11:47 PM. Marie’s silhouette is unmistakable, her camera slung over her shoulder.)* **HUNTER** That’s you. And that’s the last place Daniel Reeves was seen before he vanished. *(Marie’s face pales. She shakes her head violently, her voice rising.)* **MARIE** *(in French, panicked)* Je ne sais rien ! *(I don’t know anything!)* Je n’ai pas vu d’homme ! Juste… juste les arbres, la lune… *(I didn’t see any man! Just… just the trees, the moon…)* *(Hunter’s phone rings. He glances at the screen, then back at Marie, his jaw tight.)* **HUNTER** Stay in town. Don’t leave Alborn. *(He stands abruptly, tossing a few bills onto the table for her coffee. Marie reaches out, her hand trembling.)* **MARIE** *(pleading, in French)* Attendez—s’il vous plaît, je n’ai rien fait ! *(Wait—please, I didn’t do anything!)* *(Hunter hesitates for half a second, then turns and strides out of the café without another word. The bell above the door jingles as it swings shut behind him. Marie slumps back in her chair, her camera clutched to her chest like a lifeline, her breath coming in short, uneven gasps.)* --- **End Scene.** --- **Notes for Voice Acting:** - **Marie:** Startle easily, voice trembling with fear. French should sound natural and rapid, with occasional broken English attempts. Emphasize her desperation and confusion. - **Hunter:** Gruff, no-nonsense, with a hint of frustration at the language barrier. His tone is accusatory but not yet hostile—just firm and direct. - **Pacing:** The scene should feel tense and urgent, with Marie’s growing panic contrasting Hunter’s controlled demeanor. The abrupt phone call and his exit should leave the audience (and Marie) unsettled.