Run: 2026-03-03-01KJTZHEEBXS5RE0EYPHNYHFV1

[VOICE SHEET: Alborn Downtown Cafe, Late Autumn Afternoon. Melanie, a 30-year-old German study abroad student, slumps at a scuffed Formica table, her DSLR camera propped open in front of her, scrolling through landscape photos she took that morning. Detective Hunter, a gruff former marine in a khaki detective jacket, approaches and taps the edge of her table twice. All dialogue follows:] Melanie: [voice trembling, rapid, shaken German, entirely unintelligible to Hunter] Ach du lieber Gott, du hast mich erschreckt! Ich war nur dabei, meine Fotos anzusehen! Hunter: [low, earnest, slow, clear English—entirely unintelligible to Melanie] Excuse me, ma’am. I’m Detective Hunter with the Alborn County Sheriff’s Office. I’m investigating the recent missing person cases. Did you see anything out of the ordinary near the West Orchard last Tuesday? [Melanie blinks, not understanding a single word of English, but picks up on the serious edge in Hunter’s tone. She fumbles with her camera, pulling up a photo of a tattered navy backpack half-buried in tall grass, and points wildly at the screen] Melanie: [still speaking rapid, upset German, gesturing to the camera] Da! Dort habe ich ihn gesehen! Gestern früh, als ich durch den Apfelgarten gelaufen bin! Aber als ich näher gekommen bin, war er weg! Keine Spuren sonst! Hunter: [brow furrowing deeply, head tilting in clear confusion, running a hand over the back of his neck] I… I don’t follow. Can you please show me that again? [Melanie taps her camera screen a few times, pulling up a zoomed-in shot of muddy boot prints leading into a nearby tree line. She leans forward, voice cracking with quiet emotion] Melanie: [German, urgent] Diese Spuren! Sie gingen weg in den Wald! Ich hab es nicht der Polizei gemeldet, weil ich nicht wusste, ob jemand mir vertraut! Ich fürchtete, dass niemand auf meine Geschichte hören würde! [Hunter stares at the camera for a full ten seconds, completely lost, before his cell phone buzzes loudly in his jacket pocket. He fumbles to answer it, already standing up and shouldering his bag] Hunter: [gruff, into the phone, then snapping it shut] Hunter here. Got it, I’m en route. [He turns back to Melanie, who is now closing her camera, looking small and defeated] I’ve got to go—this is a priority call. I’m so sorry we couldn’t get on the same page today. Melanie: [soft, worried German, reaching out slightly] Warte, ich kann dir noch mehr zeigen! Hunter: [nodding quickly, already heading for the cafe door, waving over his shoulder] Thanks for your time! I’ll circle back tomorrow if I can!