Run: 2026-02-24-01KJ8VRRWKRPDP3QHZWFNS1VZ4

# Scene: The Birchwood Café, Alborn, MN --- *The small café smells of cinnamon and fresh-pressed cider. Isabella sits alone at a corner table by the window, scrolling through photos on her camera, her espresso growing cold. Hunter pushes through the front door, scanning the room. His eyes settle on the young woman with the camera — exactly the person the barista mentioned. He approaches, badge in hand.* --- **Hunter:** "Excuse me, ma'am. Detective Hunter Brandt, St. Louis County. Mind if I sit down for a moment?" **Isabella:** *(looking up, startled)* "Oh — mi scusi? Non... non capisco." **Hunter:** "I'm a detective. I'm looking into some things happening around town." *(taps his badge, then sits across from her)* "I was told you were out near the old Gustafson orchard yesterday evening, taking pictures. Is that right? Near the apple festival grounds?" **Isabella:** *(recognizing "apple festival," she nods slowly)* "Sì, sì — il festival delle mele. Ero lì ieri sera. Stavo fotografando il tramonto dietro i meleti." *(She gestures toward her camera, then toward the window, miming a sunset.)* **Hunter:** *(leaning forward)* "Okay. Good. So you *were* there. Did you happen to see a woman — mid-forties, red jacket, short blonde hair? Her name is Karen Olestad. She hasn't been seen since yesterday." **Isabella:** *(staring at him, shaking her head slowly)* "Mi dispiace, non parlo inglese. Non capisco quello che sta dicendo." **Hunter:** *(sighs, speaking more slowly and louder, as if that might help)* "A woman. A *woman*." *(He mimes the shape of a person, then points outside.)* "Disappeared. Gone. Yesterday. Near where you were." **Isabella:** *(her eyes widen — she understands "disappeared" from his gestures, and something dark crosses her face)* "Oh Dio. Oh Dio mio." *(She clutches her camera to her chest, her hands trembling.)* "Ho visto qualcosa. Ieri sera — c'era qualcuno nel frutteto. Una figura, tra gli alberi. Ho pensato fosse solo un contadino, ma... si muoveva in modo strano. Come se stesse trascinando qualcosa." **Hunter:** *(completely lost, he holds up a hand)* "Whoa, whoa — slow down. I don't... I'm not catching any of that. Do you speak English? *English?*" **Isabella:** *(shaking her head, frustrated, almost tearful)* "No, no — solo italiano! Italiano!" *(She holds up her camera, frantically scrolling through images.)* "Guardi — guardi qui. Ho scattato delle foto. Non le ho guardate bene fino a stamattina, e poi ho visto..." *(She turns the camera screen toward him, her finger trembling as she points.)* **Hunter:** *(leaning in, squinting at the small screen — a dusky landscape shot of the orchard, and in the far background, a blurred shape near the tree line)* "What the... Is that a person? Is that — two people?" **Isabella:** "Sì! Sì! Due persone! E una di loro... non stava camminando. Veniva *portata*. Lo giuro, detective. Quando l'ho visto stamattina sul display, mi si è gelato il sangue." **Hunter:** *(rubbing his jaw, staring at the photo)* "I have no idea what you're saying, but that picture..." *(He pulls out his phone and takes a photo of her camera screen.)* "Can I — can I have this? The photo?" *(He mimes handing something over.)* **Isabella:** *(nodding vigorously)* "Sì, sì, la prenda! Prenda la scheda di memoria se vuole. Ho paura, detective. Stamattina quando sono uscita dall'albergo, ho avuto la sensazione che qualcuno mi stesse seguendo. C'era un furgone bianco parcheggiato dall'altra parte della strada che non c'era ieri." **Hunter:** *(watching her face — seeing the fear even if he can't follow the words)* "Hey. Hey, it's okay." *(He gestures, palms down, a calming motion.)* "You're safe. I'm going to figure this out." *(He places a business card on the table.)* "If you need anything — *anything* — you call this number." **Isabella:** *(picking up the card, reading the printed text helplessly)* "Grazie. Non so leggere niente di tutto questo, ma... grazie. Lei è una brava persona, lo vedo." **Hunter:** "I really wish I knew what you were —" *(His phone buzzes sharply. He glances at the screen, jaw tightening.)* **Hunter:** "Brandt here." *(A pause. His face goes pale.)* "Where? ...How long ago?" *(Another pause.)* "Don't touch anything. I'm on my way." *(He stands abruptly, pocketing his phone.)* **Hunter:** *(to Isabella, speaking gently but urgently)* "I have to go. Stay here. *Stay*." *(He points at her chair, then at the ground, and holds up his palm.)* "Stay. Please." **Isabella:** *(nodding, clutching her camera)* "Stia attento, detective. Qualunque cosa ci sia là fuori in quel frutteto... non è normale. Lo sentivo nell'aria ieri sera. Qualcosa di sbagliato. Qualcosa di molto sbagliato." **Hunter:** *(pausing at the door, looking back at her — unable to understand the words, but reading every ounce of warning in her voice)* "Yeah. I hear you." *(He pushes through the door and is gone. The bell above it chimes softly. Isabella sits alone, turning her camera over in her hands, staring at the blurred shapes in the orchard, and the cold Minnesota light pressing against the window.)* --- *End of scene.*