Run: 2026-02-20-01KHYA5HW8PMGKD2WA1K61KEBJ

**Scene: *The Alborn Coffee Shop – Late Afternoon*** *The bell above the door jingles as Detective Hunter steps inside, his sharp eyes scanning the quiet café. The scent of cinnamon and coffee lingers in the air. Isabella sits in a corner booth, her fingers tracing the edge of her camera case, her expression distant. She hasn’t touched her untouched latte in nearly twenty minutes.* --- ### **[VOICE SHEET]** #### **Hunter’s POV (Approaching Isabella)** *(Hunter pulls out the chair across from her, setting his coffee down with a quiet thud. He keeps his tone measured, professional.)* **Hunter:** *(clears throat)* "Excuse me, ma’am. Mind if I sit?" *(Isabella startles slightly, her dark eyes flicking up to meet his. She nods once, stiffly, before returning her gaze to her camera.)* **Hunter:** *(glances at her camera, then back at her)* "You’re the student from the university, right? Isabella?" *(She doesn’t answer immediately. Her fingers tighten around the strap of her camera.)* **Hunter:** *(softer)* "Look, I know this is a small town, and things get talked about fast. But I’m trying to piece together what happened last night at the apple orchard." *(Isabella’s breath hitches. Her voice is barely above a whisper when she finally speaks—rapid Italian, her accent thick with emotion.)* **Isabella:** *(shaken)* *"Non ho visto niente. Ma ho sentito le grida. Le ho sentite."* *(Hunter blinks. His brow furrows.)* **Hunter:** *(frowning)* "Uh… what?" *(Isabella presses her lips together, her hands trembling. She tries again, slower, but still in Italian.)* **Isabella:** *"Non parlo inglese. Mi dispiace."* *(Hunter exhales, rubbing the back of his neck. He pulls out his phone, taps the screen a few times, then holds it up to translate.)* **Hunter:** *(gritting his teeth)* "Okay, let’s try this. You didn’t *see* anything, but you *heard* screams?" *(Isabella nods frantically, her voice breaking.)* **Isabella:** *"Sì! Qualcuno urlava. Come se… come se qualcuno stava morendo."* *(Hunter’s jaw tightens. He leans forward slightly.)* **Hunter:** "You heard someone screaming like they were dying?" *(Isabella’s eyes well up. She swallows hard, then nods again.)* **Isabella:** *"Poi… poi è diventato silenzio. Troppo silenzio."* *(Hunter’s phone buzzes. He glances at the screen, then curses under his breath.)* **Hunter:** *(standing abruptly)* "I gotta take this. Stay here. I’ll be right back." *(He strides toward the door, but pauses, turning back to her.)* **Hunter:** *(grim)* "And… don’t leave town." *(Isabella watches him go, her hands still shaking. The café feels suddenly colder.)* --- **End Scene.** *(Note: The Italian phrases Isabella uses translate roughly to:)* - *"Non ho visto niente. Ma ho sentito le grida. Le ho sentite."* → *"I didn’t see anything. But I heard the screams. I heard them."* - *"Non parlo inglese. Mi dispiace."* → *"I don’t speak English. I’m sorry."* - *"Sì! Qualcuno urlava. Come se… come se qualcuno stava morendo."* → *"Yes! Someone was screaming. Like… like someone was dying."* - *"Poi… poi è diventato silenzio. Troppo silenzio."* → *"Then… then it became silence. Too much silence."*