# Voice Sheet — Scene at the Café --- *Maria is seated at a small corner table in Birch Street Café, scrolling through photos on her camera's display screen. A half-finished cup of coffee sits beside her, growing cold. She lingers on a landscape shot of the treeline near the old mill road, her brow slightly furrowed. The bell above the door chimes as Hunter steps inside, scanning the room with practiced efficiency. He spots Maria — the only person he doesn't recognize — and approaches her table.* --- Hunter: "Afternoon, ma'am. I'm Detective Hunter Briggs with the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office. Mind if I sit down for a moment?" Maria: *looks up from her camera, startled* "¿Perdona? ¿Qué?" Hunter: "I just have a couple questions. I'm looking into some things happening here in town. You been around Alborn long?" Maria: *sets the camera down slowly, searching his face, clearly struggling* "Lo siento, no... no entiendo. No hablo inglés." Hunter: *pauses, blinks* "I'm sorry — you don't speak English?" Maria: *shakes her head, gesturing apologetically with her hands* "No inglés. Español. Solo español." Hunter: *exhales slowly, rubs the back of his neck* "Alright. Okay. Let me try this another way." *He pulls out his phone, taps at it for a moment, then holds up a photo of the old mill road — the same area visible in the photo on Maria's camera screen.* "This place. You were here? You... saw something?" Maria: *her eyes widen as she recognizes the location; her expression shifts from confusion to something darker — fear* "Ese lugar... sí, yo estuve ahí. Ayer por la tarde. Estaba sacando fotos del paisaje, de los árboles, y..." *she trails off, her hands trembling slightly* "Vi algo. Algo que no debería haber visto." Hunter: *leans forward, watching her body language intently* "I can see you recognize it. You were there. What did you see? Can you — can you show me?" *He mimes looking through a camera, then points at hers.* Maria: *nods slowly, picking up her camera with unsteady hands; she begins scrolling back through the images, her voice dropping low* "Mira... estaba haciendo fotos aquí, en este camino, cuando escuché un ruido. Como un grito. Pensé que era un animal, pero..." *she stops on a photo — a blurred image of the treeline at dusk, and at the far edge of the frame, barely visible, a shape that could be a figure dragging something* "Esto. Esto es lo que vi. No sé qué es, pero me dio mucho miedo. Salí corriendo." Hunter: *squints at the image on the small screen, his jaw tightening* "What the hell is that? Is that — can you zoom in on that?" *He makes a pinching gesture with his fingers.* Maria: *zooms in with shaking fingers; the image becomes grainier but the shape is more distinct — definitely a person, and something being pulled along the ground* "Tengo mucho miedo. Esa noche no pude dormir. No sé quién era esa persona, no sé qué estaba arrastrando, pero... fue horrible. Sentí algo muy malo en ese lugar." Hunter: *sits back, his expression grave; he points to the camera, then to himself, making a questioning gesture* "I need this photo. Can I — is there a way to get this to me?" *He pulls out a business card and slides it across the table.* Maria: *takes the card, studies it, reads the word "Detective" and seems to understand the gravity* "¿Detective? Sí... sí, entiendo. Usted es policía." *She clutches the card, nodding* "Puedo... puedo darle la foto. Pero por favor, necesito que alguien me explique qué está pasando en este pueblo. He visto cosas extrañas desde que llegué. La gente desaparece, ¿verdad? Lo he notado. Los carteles, las fotos de personas perdidas..." Hunter: *watches her speak, the frustration of the language barrier written plainly across his face* "I wish I could understand you. I really do. You clearly know something." *He taps the business card and holds up his phone, miming sending a photo through email.* "Email. Can you send the photo?" Maria: *nods, pointing at the email address on the card* "¿Email? Sí, sí, puedo enviarla. Esta noche." *She holds up the camera protectively* "Pero tenga cuidado. Lo que sea que esté pasando aquí... esa persona en la foto... sabía lo que estaba haciendo. No era un accidente. Era algo deliberado." Hunter: "Tonight? You'll send it tonight?" *He holds up one finger and points to the card again, nodding encouragingly.* Maria: *nods firmly* "Sí. Esta noche. Se lo prometo." Hunter: *offers a small, tight smile* "Good. I think we understand each other, at least a little. I'm going to find someone who speaks Spanish, and I'm going to come back, and we're going to have a real conversation. You stay safe, you hear me?" *He points at her, then makes a staying gesture.* Maria: *manages a weak smile* "Gracias. Creo que es usted una buena persona. Tenga cuidado usted también. Este pueblo... hay algo oscuro aquí. Lo siento en el aire." *Hunter's phone buzzes sharply in his jacket pocket. He holds up a finger to Maria and answers.* Hunter: "Briggs. ... Yeah. ... Where? ... The north side of the lake? I'm on my way." *He hangs up, his expression hardening. He stands abruptly, tapping the table twice near the business card.* "Don't forget — email, tonight. I'll be back." *He points at her, then at the table, then toward the door — the meaning clear: I'll return.* Maria: *watches him rise, clutching her camera to her chest* "¡Espere! ¡Tenga cuidado! Esa persona en la foto... creo que sabe que lo vi. Creo que me siguió hasta el pueblo." *Her voice cracks with urgency, but Hunter is already moving toward the door.* Hunter: *pauses at the door, looks back at her one last time; he can't understand the words, but the fear in her voice is unmistakable* "I'll be back. Stay here. Stay safe." --- *The bell chimes again as Hunter pushes through the door into the cold Minnesota afternoon. Maria watches him go, then looks down at the business card in one hand and the camera in the other. She turns the camera off, slides it into her bag, and wraps both hands around her cold cup of coffee — staring at the empty chair across from her.*