# Voice Sheet: The Cafe Encounter --- Hunter: "Excuse me, miss? I'm Detective Hunter with the Alborn Police Department. I'd like to ask you a few questions if you have a moment." Maria: *looks up, startled* "¿Perdón? No... no entiendo." Hunter: *furrows brow, speaks slower* "I'm... with the police. Detective." *points to his badge* "I need to ask you some questions. About yesterday. At the apple orchard." Maria: *face goes pale, sets camera down with shaking hands* "El huerto... sí, yo estaba allí. Vi algo... algo terrible." *voice trembles* "No puedo dejar de pensar en ello. Ese hombre... él no... él no debería haber estado allí." Hunter: *sighs, rubs the back of his neck* "I'm sorry, I don't— look, I don't speak Spanish. Do you understand any English? At all?" Maria: *shakes head quickly, eyes glistening* "No inglés. Lo siento, lo siento mucho." *gestures frantically* "Yo... cámara..." *points to her camera* "Fotos. Tenía fotos. Pero... alguien las tomó." Hunter: *leans forward intently* "Photos? Your camera— something about your camera?" *gestures toward the device* "What happened? Can you show me?" Maria: *picks up the camera, turns it on, scrolls through with visible distress* "Mire, mire aquí. Estas son de ayer." *shows him the screen, pointing* "Este hombre. Él... desapareció. ¿Desaparecido? Gone." *makes a vanishing gesture with her hands* "Yo vi. Yo vi todo." Hunter: *studies the screen, jaw tightening* "This is— this is from the festival? Yesterday?" *looks at her closely* "Someone disappeared? You saw someone disappear?" Maria: *nods vigorously, tears forming* "Sí, sí! Exactamente! Él caminaba hacia los árboles, y luego... nada. Oscuridad. Y yo escuché... un sonido. Como un..." *struggles for words, makes a low rumbling sound* "No sé cómo explicar." Hunter: *pulls out a notepad* "Okay, okay. I need to— damn it." *looks around the cafe* "Do they have anyone here who translates? Anyone at all?" Maria: *wipes at her eyes, speaks haltingly with desperate hand gestures* "Por favor... usted debe entender. Hay algo malo en este pueblo. Something... bad." *points out the window toward the orchards visible in the distance* "Allí. El peligro está allí." Hunter: *follows her gaze, then looks back at her with grim determination* "I believe you. Something's wrong— I've known that for weeks. But I need to understand what you saw. Exactly." *starts to pull out his phone* "Maybe I can get someone on the—" *Hunter's phone rings sharply. He glances at the screen and his expression hardens.* Hunter: *stands abruptly* "I have to take this. I'm sorry." *meets Maria's eyes* "Don't leave town. Stay where I can find you. We're not done here." *points to her, then to the table* "Stay." Maria: *clutches her camera to her chest, watching him rise* "¿Se va? No, por favor, espere— I stay. I stay here." *taps the table* "Pero por favor... tenga cuidado. Be careful." Hunter: *pauses, looks at her with a flicker of something softer beneath the tough exterior* "Yeah. You too." *Hunter answers the phone and strides toward the door, his shoulders tense. Maria watches him go, her camera held tight against her heart, her gaze drifting once more toward the distant orchards outside the window.* --- *Scene End*