Run: 2026-02-16-01KHM5Q17X0KPJMBE7KWB7YV9F

**Maria:** (In Spanish, muttering to herself as she scrolls through photos on her camera’s LCD screen) *Tan tranquilo… tan hermoso. Pero ese ruido anoche… no fue el viento.* (So peaceful… so beautiful. But that noise last night… it wasn't the wind.) **Hunter:** (Approaching her table, badge held low in his hand) Excuse me, miss. Detective Hunter. Mind if I ask you a few questions? You were staying at the Oakwood B&B, correct? Tuesday night, the night Ms. Gable from the festival committee went missing. Did you see or hear anything unusual? **Maria:** (Looks up, startled. Her face pales as she recognizes his badge. Her words come out in a rushed, anxious Spanish) *¿Policía? Oh, no… Sí, yo estaba allí. Anoche… escuché algo. Fuera de mi ventana. Como… un arrastre. Y un susurro, pero no eran palabras. Fue… frío. Muy frío.* (Police? Oh, no… Yes, I was there. Last night… I heard something. Outside my window. Like… a dragging. And a whisper, but they weren't words. It was… cold. Very cold.) **Hunter:** (His brow furrows deeply in confusion. He slowly puts his badge away, frustration starting to show.) Ma’am, I’m going to need you to speak English. Did. You. See. Anything? **Maria:** (Shakes her head, clutching her camera tighter. She speaks more slowly, as if that will help him understand, but continues in Spanish) *No vi a nadie. Solo el sonido. Y esta mañana, en el jardín… había una mancha oscura en la tierra. Como si algo… o alguien… hubiera estado allí.* (I didn't see anyone. Just the sound. And this morning, in the garden… there was a dark stain on the earth. Like something… or someone… had been there.) **Hunter:** (Rubs his temples, letting out a short sigh. He gestures vaguely at her camera.) A picture. Do you have a picture? Of the… stain? **Maria:** (Eyes widening, she understands the gesture. She fumbles with her camera, pulls it up, and scrolls frantically. She shows him a close-up shot of damp, disturbed soil with a darker, almost rusty patch.) *Sí. Aquí. ¿Ves?* (Yes. Here. See?) **Hunter:** (Leans in, studying the image intently. His professional interest is piqued, but the language barrier is a wall.) That’s… something. I need a copy of that. Can you email— (His police radio, set to vibrate on his belt, buzzes insistently. He pulls out his cell phone, glances at the screen, and his expression tightens.) Damn. I have to go. **Maria:** (Watching him stand, looking alarmed and abandoned) *¡Espere! ¿La señora Gable? ¿Está…?* (Wait! Ms. Gable? Is she…?) **Hunter:** (Already turning away, heading for the door. He throws a last, frustrated look over his shoulder.) I don’t know what you’re saying, but stay at the B&B. I’ll find someone who speaks… whatever that is. Don’t leave town.