Run: 2026-03-18-01KM07P77WHW6W7HWD4HACV31Y

Maria: “Perdone… ¿puedo ayudarle?” Hunter: “You’re new in town, aren’t you? I’m Detective Hunter. I need to ask about the disappearances—someone vanished after the apple festival.” Maria: “No… yo… I’m a study abroad student. I didn’t mean to—” (She swallows, fingers tight around her camera strap.) “Pero… está pasando algo terrible. Todos miran hacia otro lado.” Hunter: “Disappearances. That’s what I said. Who’s “everyone”? Name me someone who saw something.” Maria: “Yo… yo no sé si debo.” (She forces herself to breathe.) “Vi a un hombre afuera del mercado, justo antes de que empezara el festival. Tenía miedo… y no quería hablar con nadie.” Hunter: “What did he look like?” Maria: “No puedo… explicar bien. Tenía la chaqueta oscura. Y—” (She shakes her head, eyes bright with worry.) “Cuando lo miré, él apartó la mirada. Como si estuviera esperando que alguien lo encontrara.” Hunter: “That’s not enough. What time?” Maria: “Antes del primer concierto. Las luces… todavía estaban encendidas. Y yo estaba aquí, con mi cámara.” (She gestures toward the lens in her lap, as if it’s evidence she can’t put down.) “Quería tomar fotos del paisaje… pero escuché voces. Gente discutiendo cerca del granero viejo.” Hunter: “The old barn by the mill. Okay. What voices? Male or female?” Maria: “Hablaban bajito… y rápido.” (She leans forward, lowering her voice further.) “Y luego… silencio. De pronto, como si alguien hubiera cerrado una puerta muy fuerte.” Hunter: “Silence how long?” Maria: “No sé… segundos. Quizá minutos. Yo me puse nerviosa.” (She presses her palm briefly against her chest.) “Cuando miré otra vez, el hombre ya no estaba.” Hunter: “You’re telling me you saw someone go there and then he vanished.” Maria: “Sí… y ahora me siento culpable, porque no dije nada.” (Her voice cracks.) “Además, desde entonces, la gente del pueblo me mira como si yo fuera la equivocada por preguntar.” Hunter: “I’m not blaming you. I’m trying to find the pattern.” (He glances around the cafe, all business again.) “Do you know the name of that barn—who owns it?” Maria: “Creo que… lo llaman el granero de Larkin.” Hunter: “Larkin. Got it.” (He hesitates, then adds bluntly.) “Look—how good is your English? Because we can keep this simple if you understand me.” Maria: “No… todavía no.” (She looks down at her camera, ashamed and frightened all at once.) “Yo hablo español. Y estoy… muy asustada.” Hunter: “I don’t—” (He frowns, genuinely thrown.) “I don’t speak Spanish.” Maria: “Lo siento. De verdad.” (She forces a small, trembling smile.) “Pero usted necesita… a alguien que pregunte. Yo puedo mostrarle dónde estaba. Con la cámara… yo recuerdo todo.” Hunter: “You remember locations better than I do. Fine.” (He tries to keep his tone steady.) “Stay put for a minute. I’ll call someone who—” Maria: “No se preocupe. Yo puedo esperar.” (But her eyes are still troubled.) “Solo… no vaya solo al granero.” Hunter: “Don’t worry. I never go alone.” Maria: “Siempre dicen eso…” (She stops herself, then adds softly.) “Pero esta vez… siento que algo está mal.” Hunter: “I’ll look into it. Stay in the cafe.” (He pulls out his phone.) “Hunter.” [Phone call begins off-screen.] Hunter: “What? …All right.” (His jaw tightens.) “I have to go.” Maria: “¿Qué pasó?” Hunter: “New lead. I need to check something right now.” (He looks back at her, no-nonsense but concerned.) “Thanks for your help. Don’t talk to anyone else about this.” Maria: “Sí… está bien.” (She grips her camera like it’s an anchor.) “¿Volverá?” Hunter: “I’ll come back as soon as I can.” Maria: “Entonces… lo esperaré.” Hunter: “Stay put.” Maria: “Sí.” (She watches him go, shoulders tense, still shaken by what she almost said.)