# Voice Sheet — Scene at the Café --- *Marie is seated at a small corner table in the Alborn Café, scrolling through photographs on her camera's display screen. A half-finished cappuccino sits beside her, growing cold. She lingers on a photo of the tree line at the edge of town, taken at dusk — something about the shadows in it unsettles her. The bell above the door chimes, and Hunter walks in, his boots heavy on the worn linoleum. He spots her immediately — new faces stand out in a town of three thousand.* --- Hunter: "Excuse me, ma'am. I'm Detective Hunter Briggs. Mind if I sit down for a minute?" Marie: *looks up from her camera, startled* "Pardon? Je... je ne comprends pas." Hunter: "I'm — uh — a detective. I'm looking into some things happening around town. You mind if I ask you a couple questions?" Marie: *sets the camera down slowly, studying his face, then gestures hesitantly to the chair across from her* "Asseyez-vous, si vous voulez. Mais je ne parle pas anglais." Hunter: *sits down, pulls out a small notepad* "Right. So — were you in town last Tuesday night? Around the square, near the fairgrounds? There was an incident. A woman went missing." Marie: *her expression shifts — recognition flickers in her eyes, then something darker, something frightened* "Mardi soir... Oui, j'étais là. J'étais en train de prendre des photos près du terrain de foire. J'ai vu... j'ai vu quelque chose. Quelqu'un. Il y avait une femme qui marchait vers les arbres et — et quelqu'un l'a suivie. Une silhouette. Je ne sais pas qui c'était, mais ça m'a glacé le sang." Hunter: *stares at her, pen frozen above the notepad* "I'm sorry — I didn't catch any of that. Is that... French? Do you speak English?" Marie: *shakes her head, frustration and fear mingling on her face* "Non, non, je ne parle pas anglais! Écoutez — c'est important! J'ai vu quelque chose cette nuit-là. Quelque chose de terrible." *She grabs her camera and begins scrolling urgently through photos, turning the screen toward him.* "Regardez. Regardez ça." Hunter: *leans forward, squinting at the camera's small screen — a dark photograph of the fairground tree line, and just barely visible, the blurred shape of a figure standing among the trunks* "What the — is that a person? Did you take this Tuesday night?" Marie: *nods vigorously, pointing at the figure on screen* "Oui! Oui, mardi! Cette personne — elle suivait la femme. J'ai eu tellement peur que je suis partie en courant. Je ne savais pas quoi faire. Je ne connais personne ici. Je ne sais même pas comment appeler la police dans ce pays." Hunter: *rubs his jaw, studying the photo, then looks back at her* "Okay, I can see you're trying to tell me something important. And this photo — this could be something. But ma'am, I can't understand a word you're saying. Not one. Is there anyone in town who can translate for you? Anyone?" Marie: *catches the questioning tone, understands he's asking her something, and shakes her head helplessly* "Je ne connais personne. Je suis ici toute seule pour mes études. Personne ne parle français dans cette ville. Personne." *Her eyes are glistening now. She taps the photo on the camera again.* "Mais cette image — cette image est la preuve. Il faut que vous compreniez." Hunter: *sighs deeply, pulls out a business card and slides it across the table* "Look — take this. That's my number. I'm going to find someone who speaks French, and I'm going to come back, and we're going to have a real conversation. Okay? Can you hold onto that photo for me? Don't delete it." Marie: *takes the card, turns it over in her fingers, reads his name* "Hunter Briggs... Détective." *She looks up at him and nods slowly, clutching the camera to her chest.* "D'accord. Je garderai la photo. Mais faites vite. J'ai un mauvais pressentiment. Ce que j'ai vu cette nuit-là... ce n'était pas normal." Hunter: *offers a small, reassuring nod — the kind he learned means the same thing in every language* "I can tell you're scared. I get it. I'm going to figure this out." Marie: *manages a thin, fragile smile* "Merci... merci." Hunter: *opens his mouth to say something else when his phone buzzes sharply in his jacket pocket. He pulls it out, glances at the screen, and his expression hardens.* "Briggs here." *A pause. His jaw tightens.* Hunter: "Where? ...How long ago? ...No, don't touch anything. I'm on my way." *He stands abruptly, pocketing the phone, and looks at Marie.* "I have to go. Something's come up. But I'll be back — I promise." *He taps the business card on the table in front of her.* "Call me. That number." Marie: *watches him rise, alarmed by the sudden urgency in his movements* "Qu'est-ce qui se passe? Quelque chose est arrivé?" *She reaches out as if to stop him.* "Attendez — soyez prudent. Quoi que ce soit que j'ai vu cette nuit-là... je crois que c'est dangereux." Hunter: *pauses at the door, looks back at her one more time — her expression tells him everything her words can't* "Stay safe, ma'am." *He pushes through the door and is gone. The bell chimes once behind him. Marie sits alone again, the camera pressed against her chest, the blurred figure on its screen staring out from the darkness between the trees.* Marie: *whispers to herself* "Mon Dieu... qu'est-ce qui se passe dans cette ville?" --- *End of scene.*