Run: 2026-02-08-01KGYZ7VXFCD65T2QQJMHHS1Q3

**Scene:** The Corner Cafe, Alborn, MN. Late afternoon. The smell of coffee and baked apple pie hangs in the air. *** Marie: "..." Hunter: "..." **Marie:** (Muttering to herself in French, staring at the small screen on the back of her digital camera) "Non, non, c'est flou... La lumière était mauvaise." (No, no, it's blurry... The light was bad.) **Hunter:** (Approaches the table, his voice low and direct) Excuse me. I'm Detective Hunter. Alborn Police. Mind if I have a moment? **Marie:** (Looks up, startled. She clutches her camera to her chest) Pardon? **Hunter:** I'm investigating a situation. A man went missing a couple of days ago. David Chen. (He shows her a photo on his phone). He was last seen near Miller's Pond. I've been told you're out there a lot with your camera. Did you happen to see anything unusual that day? **Marie:** (Her eyes widen at the photo, then at the name "Miller's Pond." Her face pales. She shakes her head, but her trembling gives her away) L'étang... Oh mon Dieu. J'ai... j'ai vu quelque chose. **Hunter:** I'm sorry, I don't... what was that? Did you see him? The man in the picture? **Marie:** (Speaking rapidly, her voice rising in panic) Oui, l'homme! Mais il n'était pas seul! Il y avait une dispute. C'était... effrayant. L'autre personne... elle l'a poussé! **Hunter:** (Leans in, trying to catch any familiar word, but finds none) Ma'am, I don't understand what you're saying. Are you French? I need you to slow down. Did you see an argument? Was someone with him? **Marie:** (Frustrated, she gestures with her hands, mimicking two people arguing, then a shoving motion) Oui! Une dispute! Il est tombé dans l'eau! J'ai tout pris en photo! Regardez! (She desperately points at her camera) C'est tout ici! **Hunter:** (His eyes follow her gesture to the camera) The camera? You have a picture? You took a picture of what happened? **Marie:** (Nods vigorously, relief flooding her face that he might finally understand) Oui! Oui! Attendez! (She begins fumbling with the buttons on her camera, her fingers shaking). **Hunter:** Okay, okay, easy. Just... just show me. **(Hunter’s phone rings loudly, shrill and insistent. He glares at it, then at Marie, a clear conflict on his face.)** **Hunter:** (Into the phone) Hunter. ... Yeah, I'm in the middle of something. ... What? Right now? ... Damn it. Okay, I'm on my way. (He hangs up, looking incredibly frustrated). **Marie:** (Pauses with the camera powered on, the image queued up. She looks at him, questioning) Vous... vous partez? **Hunter:** (Holds up a hand, "one second." He pulls out a business card and a pen. He points to her) You. Stay here. (He points to himself) Me. I'll be back. (He looks at the card, then scribbles on the back). Tomorrow. Here. Ten AM. (He slides the card across the table towards her). **Marie:** (Stares at the card, then back at him. She gives a small, uncertain nod) D'accord. **Hunter:** (Gives her a final, firm look) Don't go anywhere. **(Hunter turns and strides out of the cafe, leaving Marie alone at the table. She looks down at the glowing screen of her camera, at the crystal-clear image of a man's terrified face as another figure pushes him towards the dark water of Miller's Pond.)**