Run: 2026-02-20-01KHY9837QE7W3YC8M5GKSE3ZS

**Voice Sheet: Scene – Café in Alborn, MN** *(The café is quiet, with soft chatter and the hum of the espresso machine. Marie sits at a small table, her camera open beside her, her fingers tracing the lens. She looks deeply troubled, her expression distant. Hunter, in his detective’s uniform, approaches with a no-nonsense stride.)* --- **Hunter:** *(in English, with a clipped tone)* "Ma’am?" *(Marie jumps slightly, her hand flying to her chest. She looks up at him, wide-eyed, then quickly glances at her camera before turning back to him. She speaks in rapid, anxious French.)* --- **Marie:** *(shaken, voice trembling slightly)* "Oh! Oh, pardon—je ne comprends pas…" *(I don’t understand…)* "Qu’est-ce que vous voulez? Vous parlez… français?" *(What do you want? Do you speak… French?)* *(She gestures awkwardly, her camera still clutched tightly in her hands.)* **Hunter:** *(frowning, confused, still in English)* "Uh… no. I don’t speak French. But I need to ask you about something that happened here in town." *(Marie’s face pales. She exhales sharply, her grip tightening on the camera.)* **Marie:** *(whispering, urgent)* "Non… non, ce n’est pas bon…" *(No… it’s not good…)* "Il y a eu… une disparition. Encore." *(There’s been… another disappearance.)* *(She swallows hard, her voice breaking slightly.)* "C’était hier soir. Une femme. Disparue près du marché." *(It was last night. A woman. Disappeared near the market.)* *(She looks around nervously, as if expecting someone to appear.)* "Ils disent… qu’elle a été enlevée. Ou pire." *(They say… she was taken. Or worse.)* **Hunter:** *(leaning in slightly, voice low)* "Who told you this?" **Marie:** *(hesitant, glancing around again)* "Un… un ami. Il travaille à la police. Mais il ne veut pas en parler." *(A… a friend. He works at the police. But he doesn’t want to talk about it.)* *(She hesitates, then adds in a rush.)* "Je… je prends des photos. Des paysages. Mais hier…" *(I… I take photos. Of landscapes. But yesterday…)* *(She holds up her camera, the lens dirty with smudges.)* "J’ai vu… quelque chose près de la rivière. Après le coucher du soleil." *(I saw… something near the river. After sunset.)* *(Her voice drops to a whisper.)* "C’était… une silhouette. Qui se déplaçait vite. Comme si elle fuyait." *(It was… a silhouette. Moving quickly. Like she was running away.)* **Hunter:** *(frowning, intrigued despite his frustration)* "You saw someone running near the river last night?" **Marie:** *(nodding frantically)* "Oui! Et… et il y avait des lumières. Des voitures. Mais personne ne s’est arrêté. Personne ne m’a demandé ce que je faisais." *(Yes! And… and there were lights. Cars. But no one stopped. No one asked what I was doing.)* *(She exhales shakily.)* "Je… je suis partie. J’ai eu peur." *(I… I left. I was scared.)* **Hunter:** *(rubbing his jaw, considering)* "Did you get any photos?" **Marie:** *(shaking her head)* "Non. Ma batterie était morte. Et… et j’ai eu trop peur pour allumer l’appareil." *(No. My battery was dead. And… and I was too scared to turn it on.)* *(Hunter stares at her for a long moment, then pulls out his phone. He types something quickly, then looks up at her.)* **Hunter:** "Your name?" **Marie:** *(relieved that he’s taking her seriously)* "Marie. Marie Laurent. Je suis étudiante. En échange à l’université de Minneapolis." *(Marie Laurent. I’m a student. On exchange at the University of Minnesota.)* **Hunter:** *(nodding, then checking his phone again)* "Alright, Marie. I need you to come with me to the station. We’ll take a look at what you saw." *(Marie’s eyes widen in alarm.)* **Marie:** "Non! Non, je ne peux pas! Je dois… je dois retourner à l’université!" *(No! No, I can’t! I have to… I have to go back to the university!)* **Hunter:** *(firm, but not unkind)* "Marie, this is important. Someone’s missing. You might be the only one who saw what happened." *(Marie hesitates, then looks around nervously again. Hunter pulls out a business card and writes something on the back.)* **Hunter:** "Here’s my number. Call me if you think of anything else. And Marie—" *(He lowers his voice.)* "—don’t take any more photos near the river. Not until we’ve talked." *(Marie takes the card, her fingers trembling. Hunter stands up, then hesitates before adding one last thing.)* **Hunter:** "Parlez-vous anglais? Pas beaucoup?" *(Do you speak English? Not much?)* *(Marie shakes her head, then suddenly smiles weakly.)* **Marie:** "Non. Mais… je peux apprendre." *(No. But… I can learn.)* *(Hunter nods, then turns to leave. As he walks away, he glances back at her once.)* **Hunter:** *(over his shoulder)* "Stay safe, Marie." *(Marie watches him go, her expression a mix of fear and determination. She clutches her camera to her chest, then quickly snaps a few photos of the café’s exterior before slipping her phone out to call her friend at the police station.)* --- **End Scene.**