Run: 2026-03-11-01KKFDV7N1XSFFVYHGVK7MWN6Z

**Setting:** The Red Apple Cafe, a cozy spot with checkered tablecloths and the scent of cinnamon in the air. The low hum of conversation is mixed with the occasional clink of ceramic mugs. Through the large front window, the town square of Alborn is visible, already decorated with festive banners for the upcoming annual Apple Festival. Isabella sits alone at a small table by the window, her beautiful silver camera resting on the red and white cloth in front of her. She isn't shooting, just staring at it, her fingers tracing the lens. Her expression is pale, lost in thought, her dark eyes haunted. The bell above the cafe door jingles, and Detective Hunter strides in. His boots make a solid, purposeful sound on the wooden floor. He scans the room, his gaze landing on the young woman with the foreign air and the camera. He approaches her table, pulling out the opposite chair without waiting for an invitation. **Voice Sheet:** **Hunter:** (His voice is low, calm, but carries an authority that cuts through the cafe's chatter.) "Isabella Rossi? Detective Hunter, Alborn Police Department." **Isabella:** (She starts, her head snapping up. Her eyes are wide with surprise and a deeper, lingering fear. She clutches the edge of the table.) *"C-cosa... Cosa vuole?"* (What... What do you want?) **Hunter:** (He notes her reaction, his expression unreadable.) "I'm investigating the disappearance of Mary Ellen Hayes. She was last seen near the festival setup two nights ago. I understand you were taking photographs in that area around that time." **Isabella:** (The name seems to trigger something. A visible shudder runs through her. She pulls her hands into her lap, wrapping them around herself as if cold. Her voice is a strained whisper, thick with emotion.) *"Mary Ellen... la ragazza gentile con i fiori sulla sua borsa... L'ho vista. Sì. Ma c'era qualcos'altro... qualcosa di sbagliato."* (Mary Ellen... the kind girl with the flowers on her bag... I saw her. Yes. But there was something else... something wrong.) **Hunter:** (He leans forward slightly, patient but firm.) "Something wrong? What did you see, Ms. Rossi?" **Isabella:** (She shakes her head, frustration and distress mixing in her face. She gestures vaguely towards the window, towards the fading daylight.) *"Non so come dirlo in... lei parla inglese? Io... non parlo bene. Era un'ombra. Lunga. Strana. Non si muoveva come una persona. E dopo... dopo Mary Ellen è sparita. La sua borsa era a terra."* (I don't know how to say it in... do you speak English? I... I don't speak well. It was a shadow. Long. Strange. It didn't move like a person. And then... then Mary Ellen was gone. Her bag was on the ground.) **Hunter:** (Frowns, his frustration clear. He understands almost none of the words, but the tone and her shattered demeanor communicate volume.) "A shadow? I'm not following. Can you try English? Slowly." **Isabella:** (She tries, struggling, her brow furrowed in concentration.) *"Ombra... shadow. Lunga... long. Era... behind the... the apple crates. She... she stopped. Looked. And then... nothing. Just... gone."* (She gestures a cutting motion with her hand.) *"Come fumo."* (Like smoke.) **Hunter:** (He processes this, his detective's mind filing away the fragments: crates, a shadow, a disappearance.) "You saw this happen? Did you tell the first officers on the scene?" **Isabella:** (She nods vigorously, tears welling in her eyes.) *"Sì, sì! Ho provato. Ma loro... they just take my name. They think I am... confused."* (She taps her own temple.) *"Non confusa! Ho visto quello che ho visto!"* (Not confused! I saw what I saw!) **Hunter:** (His expression softens marginally at her clear distress. He pulls a small notepad from his jacket.) "I'm taking you seriously. Where exactly were you standing? Show me." **Isabella:** (She seems relieved, a flicker of hope in her eyes. She begins to point towards the window, to describe the angle, when— **Hunter's phone** buzzes violently on the table, cutting through the moment. He glances at the screen, his face instantly hardening into its professional mask. He stands abruptly. **Hunter:** "I have to take this. Ms. Rossi, stay here. Don't leave the cafe. I'll be right back." **Isabella:** (Her momentary hope evaporates. She shrinks back in her chair, looking small and alone again as the detective steps away, his voice dropping into a tense murmur as he answers the call.) **Hunter:** (Into phone, his back to her) "Hunter... What do you mean 'another one'? Where?"