# Scene: The Café on Main Street *The morning light filters through the front windows of Birch & Brew, Alborn's only café. Isabella sits alone at a corner table near the window, scrolling through photos on her Canon mirrorless camera, a half-finished cappuccino growing cold beside her. The bell above the door jingles as Hunter steps inside, his badge clipped to his belt, eyes scanning the room with practiced efficiency. He notices the young woman — a face he hasn't catalogued yet in this small town — and approaches her table.* --- Hunter: "Morning, ma'am. Mind if I sit down for a second?" Isabella: *looks up from her camera, startled* "...Scusi?" Hunter: "I'm Detective Hunter Graves, with the county sheriff's office. I'm talking to folks around town about something that happened recently. You may have heard — a woman went missing two nights ago, just off County Road 7. Were you anywhere near the north end of town Tuesday evening?" Isabella: *her eyes widen, and she sets the camera down slowly* "Dio mio... la donna scomparsa? Sì, sì — io ero lì. Ero fuori a fare fotografie al tramonto, vicino alla strada. Ho visto... ho visto qualcosa, e mi ha spaventata molto." Hunter: *blinks, leans back slightly* "I'm sorry — I didn't catch any of that. Do you speak English?" Isabella: *shakes her head, pressing a hand to her chest* "No, no... inglese no. Mi dispiace. Io parlo solo italiano." *She gestures helplessly, her face strained with frustration.* Hunter: "Italian. Okay." *He rubs the back of his neck.* "Alright, let's try this differently. You were... there?" *He points at her, then gestures vaguely toward the north end of town.* "Tuesday? The road?" Isabella: *nods vigorously, understanding his gestures* "Sì! Sì, martedì sera! La strada!" *She picks up her camera and begins scrolling through photos urgently, turning the screen toward him.* "Guardi — guardi qui. Stavo fotografando il paesaggio e ho catturato qualcosa. Quest'auto... non è normale, no? Era ferma lì, con le luci spente, e poi è partita velocissima. Mi ha fatto venire i brividi." Hunter: *squints at the camera screen, seeing a landscape photo with what appears to be a dark vehicle parked on the roadside* "Is that — hold on, is that a car? On the road? Tuesday night?" Isabella: "Sì, la macchina! Era scura, nera o blu, non so. E c'era una persona... una figura, vicino agli alberi. Quando mi ha vista, è sparita. Io ho avuto paura, ho preso la mia borsa e sono corsa via." *Her voice trembles. She wraps her arms around herself.* "Ho paura. Quella donna... le è successo qualcosa di brutto, vero?" Hunter: *holds up both hands gently* "Hey, hey — it's okay. You're safe. I just..." *He sighs, frustrated.* "I wish I could understand what you're telling me. This photo, though — can I get a copy of this? The car?" *He mimes taking the camera, then points at the photo and then at himself.* Isabella: *hesitates, clutching the camera protectively, then nods slowly* "Vuole la foto? Sì... sì, se aiuta a trovare la donna, certo. Faccia quello che deve." *She navigates to the image and holds the camera out toward him.* Hunter: "Thank you. I appreciate that. I'm going to need to get someone who speaks Italian to sit down with you properly, because I have a strong feeling you saw something important and I'm getting about ten percent of it." *He pulls out a small notepad and slides it across the table with a pen.* "Can you write down where you're staying? Your name?" Isabella: *takes the pen and writes carefully:* **Isabella Ferretti — Alborn Inn, camera 4** *She slides it back, then adds softly:* "Mi chiamo Isabella. Per favore... trovi quella donna. Il bosco qui... c'è qualcosa che non va. Lo sento." Hunter: "Isabella. Okay, Isabella. I'm Hunter." *He taps his chest.* "Hunter. I'm going to come back with a translator, alright? Don't delete any of those photos." Isabella: *nods* "Hunter..." *She repeats the name quietly, then holds up the camera and mimes keeping it safe.* "Le foto — sì. Le tengo tutte." Hunter: *offers a small, reassuring nod* "Good. That's—" *His phone buzzes sharply in his jacket pocket. He pulls it out, glances at the screen, and his expression hardens.* Hunter: "Graves... Yeah. Where? ...You're kidding me. Another one?" *He stands abruptly, tucking the notepad into his coat.* "I'm on my way. Ten minutes." *He turns back to Isabella, who is watching him with wide, anxious eyes.* Hunter: "I have to go. Stay safe, Isabella. Lock your door tonight." *He mimes turning a key.* "Lock. Okay? I'll be back." Isabella: *her face pales as she reads his urgency* "Un'altra persona è scomparsa... lo vedo nei suoi occhi. Dio ci aiuti." *She clutches the camera to her chest and nods.* "Sì... sì. Stia attento, Hunter." *Hunter holds her gaze for one more moment, then turns and pushes through the café door into the gray Minnesota morning. The bell chimes behind him. Isabella watches him go, then slowly turns the camera back on and scrolls to the photo of the dark car on County Road 7. She zooms in on the shadow near the tree line — and her hands begin to shake.* --- *End of scene.*