Run: 2026-02-20-01KHXPMSQM3SNBPEP16E830SG4

Here’s the dialogue formatted as a **voice sheet** for your cozy mystery scene, capturing the tension, language barrier, and underlying unease between Melanie and Hunter. --- ### **VOICE SHEET – CAFÉ SCENE** **Setting:** *A quiet café in Alborn, MN. Soft chatter and the hum of an espresso machine fill the air. Melanie sits alone at a corner table, her camera in hand, reviewing photos. Hunter approaches, his expression serious.* --- **HUNTER** *(firm, no-nonsense, but not unkind)* "Excuse me. You were at the old mill yesterday afternoon, right? Near the river?" **MELANIE** *(startled, gripping her camera tighter, responding in rapid German)* "Äh—ja, ich war dort. Warum? Ist etwas passiert?" *(Oh—yes, I was there. Why? Did something happen?)* *(her voice shakes slightly, eyes darting toward the door)* **HUNTER** *(frowning, arms crossed, confused by her response)* "Look, I don’t know what you just said, but I need to ask you some questions. You understand *any* English?" **MELANIE** *(panicked, switching to slower but still fluent German, hands trembling)* "Nein—ich spreche kein Englisch. Bitte… was ist los?" *(No—I don’t speak English. Please… what’s wrong?)* *(she glances at her camera, as if considering fleeing)* **HUNTER** *(sighs, rubbing his temple, frustrated but trying to stay patient)* "Damn it. Okay, let me try this—" *(he pulls out his phone, opens a translation app, and types slowly)* "Did. You. See. Anything. *Unusual.* At. The. Mill." *(He turns the screen toward her, showing the translated German: **"Haben Sie etwas *Ungewöhnliches* bei der Mühle gesehen?"**)* **MELANIE** *(reads the screen, then pales, her voice dropping to a whisper)* "…Ich habe Schreie gehört. Aber ich dachte, es war nur der Wind." *(…I heard screams. But I thought it was just the wind.)* *(she swallows hard, fingers tightening around her camera strap)* **HUNTER** *(leaning in, intense, typing again)* "Screams? *When?* And from where?" *(Screen updates: **"Schreie? *Wann?* Und woher?"**)* **MELANIE** *(hesitant, then pointing vaguely toward the river on a napkin, sketching a quick map)* "Gestern. Gegen fünf Uhr. Dort—bei den alten Bäumen." *(Yesterday. Around five. There—by the old trees.)* *(she bites her lip, then adds in a rush)* "Aber ich habe niemandem etwas gesagt, weil… ich dachte, ich bilde es mir ein." *(But I didn’t tell anyone because… I thought I was imagining it.)* **HUNTER** *(stares at the napkin, jaw tight, then types urgently)* "Did you see *anyone*? A man? A woman? A—" *(His phone rings sharply. He glances at the screen, curses under his breath.)* **HUNTER** *(cutting off, already standing, voice clipped)* "Stay in town. Don’t go near the mill again. *Verstanden?*" *(Understood?—mispronounced but forceful)* *(He doesn’t wait for an answer, striding out as he answers the call.)* **MELANIE** *(whispers to herself, staring after him, gripping her camera like a lifeline)* "Was… *was war das?*" *(The camera shutter clicks—unintentionally—capturing Hunter’s retreating back as he disappears into the rain.)* --- ### **NOTES FOR TONE & DELIVERY:** - **Melanie:** Starts **nervous but polite**, then grows **increasingly shaken** as the conversation progresses. Her German should sound **natural but hurried**, with **breathless pauses** when she’s recalling the screams. - **Hunter:** **Controlled frustration** at the language barrier, but his **military precision** slips when he realizes she might be a key witness. His **typing into the translator** should sound **abrupt and efficient**. - **Subtext:** Melanie is **hiding something**—not necessarily guilt, but fear. Hunter **doesn’t realize how much she knows** yet. Would you like any adjustments to the emotional beats or pacing?