Run: 2026-02-20-01KHXPCTXEETWPXQRPKFA2PSPB

Here’s the dialogue formatted as a **voice sheet** for your cozy mystery scene, capturing the tension, language barrier, and underlying unease between Marie and Hunter. --- ### **Scene: The Café in Alborn, MN** *Setting: A quiet, rustic café with the hum of distant conversation. Marie sits alone at a corner table, her camera in hand, scrolling through photos with a furrowed brow. Hunter approaches, his expression serious. He pulls out the chair across from her without asking.* --- ### **Voice Sheet: Marie & Hunter – The Language Barrier** **Hunter:** *(firm, no-nonsense)* "Miss, I’m Detective Hunter. Mind if I ask you a few questions?" *Marie looks up, startled. She doesn’t understand the words, but his tone is unmistakable—authority. She clutches her camera tighter.* **Marie:** *(rapid French, shaken)* "Pardon… je ne comprends pas. Vous… vous êtes la police?" *(I don’t understand. You… you’re the police?)* *Hunter blinks, then frowns, realizing she doesn’t speak English. He tries again, slower, as if volume will help.* **Hunter:** *(louder, enunciating)* "Did. You. See. Anything. Strange. Last. Night?" *Marie’s eyes widen. She understands the word *"strange"*—or at least, the sharp way he says it. Her fingers tremble as she flips through her camera, stopping on a photo. She points at it, voice rising.* **Marie:** *(urgent, overlapping words)* "Attendez—j’ai vu quelque chose près de la forêt! Une ombre, et puis… et puis plus rien!" *(Wait—I saw something near the forest! A shadow, and then… and then nothing!)* *Hunter leans in, squinting at the photo—a dark, blurry shape between the trees. His jaw tightens. He doesn’t know what she’s saying, but her panic is clear.* **Hunter:** *(gritting teeth, frustrated)* "Damn it. Look, I don’t know what you’re saying, but if you saw something, you gotta—" *Marie cuts him off, grabbing his wrist without thinking. Her French spills out in a rush.* **Marie:** "Écoutez-moi! Il y a eu un bruit, comme un cri, et après…" *(Listen to me! There was a noise, like a scream, and then—)* *Hunter yanks his arm back instinctively, then regrets it when he sees her flinch. He exhales sharply, rubbing his temples. Before he can try charades, his phone rings. He glances at the screen—*"Sheriff’s Office"*—and curses under his breath.* **Hunter:** *(to Marie, gruff but less harsh)* "Stay here. Don’t leave town." *He doesn’t wait for a response, already striding toward the exit. Marie stares after him, then down at her camera. The photo of the shadow seems darker now.* **Marie:** *(whispering to herself, in French)* "Qu’est-ce que j’ai fait…?" *(What have I done…?)* --- ### **End Scene** --- ### **Notes for Tone & Delivery:** - **Marie:** Starts **nervous**, grows **frantic** as she realizes he doesn’t understand. Her French should sound **natural but urgent**, with a tremor in her voice. - **Hunter:** **Controlled irritation** at first, then **barely suppressed alarm** when he sees the photo. His final line is a **barked order**, but there’s a hint of **reluctant protectiveness** beneath it. - **Subtext:** Marie knows more than she’s letting on (or can communicate). Hunter is **desperate for answers** but doesn’t have the tools to get them. Would you like any adjustments to the emotional beats or pacing?