Run: 2026-02-24-01KJ8X72MJJPJJB1HKVZFBNKGZ

# Scene: The Café on Main Street --- Hunter: "Excuse me, ma'am? Mind if I sit down for a moment?" Isabella: *(looking up from her camera, startled)* "Oh— mi scusi, non l'avevo vista arrivare." Hunter: "I'm Detective Hunter Briggs. I'm looking into some things happening around town. You, uh… you spend a lot of time out taking photographs around here, right? I've seen you around." Isabella: *(clutching her camera tighter, her voice dropping)* "Lei è della polizia? Grazie a Dio. Io… io ho visto qualcosa. L'altra notte, vicino al frutteto. C'era qualcuno— una figura, trascinava qualcosa nel buio. Ho avuto così tanta paura che sono scappata." Hunter: *(leaning back slowly)* "I'm sorry, I— I don't understand. Do you speak English? English?" Isabella: *(shaking her head, frustrated)* "No, no… inglese no. Mi dispiace. Ma deve capire— quello che ho visto era terribile. Quella persona… quella persona è sparita. Come gli altri!" Hunter: "Okay. Okay, hold on. I can see you're upset. Are you… are you trying to tell me something about the disappearances? The missing people?" Isabella: *(nodding vigorously, recognizing his tone)* "Sì! Sì, le persone scomparse! Io ho delle foto!" *(She begins scrolling urgently through her camera's display, turning the screen toward him.)* "Guardi— guardi qui. Questa l'ho scattata martedì notte vicino a Old Mill Road. Vede quella sagoma tra gli alberi?" Hunter: *(squinting at the small screen)* "That's… that's Old Mill Road. Tuesday? You were out there Tuesday night? Ma'am, that's right near where Tom Erikson went missing." Isabella: *(her hands trembling, voice barely above a whisper)* "Quell'uomo… l'ho visto. Camminava verso il frutteto e poi— poi c'era qualcun altro. Lo seguiva. Ho scattato una foto ma avevo le mani che tremavano, è venuta mossa. Mi sono nascosta dietro un albero e non ho dormito per due notti." Hunter: *(rubbing the back of his neck)* "I wish to God I could understand what you're telling me. You look like you haven't slept. And these photos…" *(He points at the camera, then mimes writing on his palm.)* "Can you write it down? Write?" Isabella: *(staring at his gesture, then deflating)* "Scrivere? Posso scrivere, certo, ma in italiano. Non cambierebbe nulla…" *(She pulls a small notebook from her bag and begins sketching a rough map — the orchard, the road, a stick figure being followed by another.)* "Ecco. Qui. È successo qui." Hunter: *(studying the sketch carefully)* "That's the Langford orchard. And that's— two people? Someone was following someone?" Isabella: *(tapping the drawing emphatically)* "Sì! Sì, esattamente! E quest'ombra— questa persona— portava qualcosa di grande. Come un sacco. Dio mio, non riesco a togliermelo dalla testa." Hunter: "You saw something bad out there. I can see it in your eyes." *(He pulls out a business card and sets it on the table.)* "I'm going to find someone who speaks your language, and I'm coming back. Okay? I need to know what—" *(His phone buzzes sharply. He glances at the screen, jaw tightening.)* Hunter: "Briggs here." *(A pause. His expression darkens.)* "Where? …How long ago? I'm on my way." Isabella: *(watching him anxiously)* "Che cosa è successo? È un'altra persona scomparsa?" Hunter: *(standing, pointing at her, then at the table — stay here)* "Don't go anywhere. Please. I'll be back." *(He holds up one finger.)* "One hour. *One.*" Isabella: *(clutching his business card, her voice small)* "Un'ora… sì. Starò qui. Ma faccia in fretta, detective. Ho la sensazione che non ci sia molto tempo." Hunter: *(already halfway to the door, muttering under his breath)* "Yeah. I've got that same feeling." --- *The bell above the café door chimed behind him, leaving Isabella alone with her coffee growing cold and the blurry photograph of a shadow between the apple trees still glowing on her camera screen.*