Run: 2026-03-18-01KM0AAFHM2G0N40W484F5FHWY

**Isabella:** “Mi scusi… non capisco, ma…” **Hunter:** “Name’s Hunter. Alborn Police. I’m looking into a situation from last night. You been anywhere near Main Street?” **Isabella:** “I—” *(her fingers tighten around her camera)* “No… io stavo… fotograficamente…” **Hunter:** “Photographing what?” **Isabella:** “Il paesaggio. Il campo, vicino al fiume. Prima del festival, capisce?” **Hunter:** “Festival hasn’t started yet. What about the missing people? Anybody talk to you? Anyone asking questions?” **Isabella:** *(troubled; she keeps her eyes on her lens as if it might steady her)* “Io… ho sentito… rumore. E poi… ho visto una donna—” *(swallows)* “Lei non c’era più.” **Hunter:** “A woman disappeared? You saw that with your own eyes?” **Isabella:** “Sì. E… e lei mi guardava.” *(voice softens, then shakes)* “Poi—come se fosse svanita. Non… non ho idea.” **Hunter:** “Listen, I’m going to need details. Time. Where. What she looked like.” **Isabella:** “Era… tardi. Verso le sei e mezza.” *(gestures toward the window, as if replaying the street)* “Allora ero seduta lì—caffè—e lei è arrivata. Aveva… una giacca scura. Capelli… scuri.” **Hunter:** “Did she say anything to you?” **Isabella:** *(she looks up, alarmed)* “Sì, ma non abbastanza per capire.” *(then, fiercely)* “Le persone qui… sembrano tranquille, ma io—io non sono tranquilla.” **Hunter:** “I’m not here to judge you. I’m here to find out what happened.” *(a pause; he studies her face, impatient but careful)* “You said you don’t understand English?” **Isabella:** “No.” *(quiet)* “Io sono italiana. Studio qui… ma… English… niente.” **Hunter:** *(stops, looks genuinely thrown)* “Great. Fantastic. Of course.” *(he rubs his jaw)* “Okay. Then—when you say ‘she looked at you’… did she point at anything? A car? A house?” **Isabella:** “Sì—un’auto rossa.” *(voice tightens)* “Non molto grande. E… ha fatto un gesto—come chiamarmi.” **Hunter:** “Red car. Who owned it?” **Isabella:** “Non so.” *(she shakes her head quickly)* “Io non… non conosco i nomi. Ma—” *(she inhales, trying not to break)* “Lei aveva paura. Io la vedevo… tremare.” **Hunter:** “Fear makes people do strange things.” *(then, more direct)* “Did she leave you with anything? A note? A phone? Something in your camera bag?” **Isabella:** *(she checks her bag instinctively, then forces herself to answer)* “No… niente. Solo la mia macchina fotografica.” *(a small, bitter laugh)* “Eppure… adesso penso che anche lei mi—mi cercava.” **Hunter:** “You think she was luring you?” **Isabella:** “Non so, Hunter…” *(the name slips out even though he hasn’t told it clearly; she looks surprised by herself)* “Ma… dopo, ho visto qualcuno guardare fuori. Due uomini. Non parlavano. Solo… osservavano.” **Hunter:** “Two men watching. Where?” **Isabella:** “Vicino—alla farmacia… dall’altra parte.” *(she leans closer to him, voice urgent)* “E io… io non volevo prendere una foto. Ma la mia macchina… continua a parlare.” **Hunter:** “Your camera doesn’t talk.” *(he says it flat, but his eyes narrow anyway)* “Show me the photos. If you took any, I can check for something.” **Isabella:** “Non ancora.” *(she looks down, guilty)* “Ero… io volevo una foto bella. Ma quando ho visto lei… ho avuto paura.” **Hunter:** “Understandable. Still—if you saw a red car and two guys across the street, that’s something.” *(he pulls out his notepad, then hesitates because the language barrier is suddenly obvious again)* “I’m going to write what you said. You… can point. Okay?” **Isabella:** “Sì.” *(relieved that he’s trying, she nods quickly)* “Scrive… e io… io dico.” **Hunter:** “Good. Start with the red car—what direction did it go after she vanished?” **Isabella:** “Verso… est.” *(hands trace an invisible line)* “Dopo l’incrocio, andata… verso la strada del grano.” **Hunter:** “Grain road. Alright.” *(he writes, brow furrowed)* “And the men—did they look like locals? Any uniforms?” **Isabella:** “No… non uniformi.” *(she frowns, trying)* “Ma… uno aveva un cappello. L’altro… mani nei tasche. Sembrava… come se sapessero già.” **Hunter:** “They knew.” *(quietly, to himself)* “Okay.” *(he glances around the café, then back at her)* “You stay here for a bit. Don’t go wandering off.” **Isabella:** “Non voglio.” *(her voice is small)* “Ma… ho paura che succeda di nuovo.” **Hunter:** “It won’t.” *(then his phone buzzes; his whole posture shifts immediately)* “Hold on.” *(answers, listening)* **Isabella:** *(watching him, tense)* “Cosa… succede?” **Hunter:** “It’s a call. I’ve got to check on something right now.” *(he thumbs off the screen, then looks at her again—serious)* “Listen. Don’t talk to anyone about this except me. If you see that red car again, you come back here.” **Isabella:** “Hunter… io—” *(she starts, then realizes she might not be understood)* “Ok… sì.” *(she presses her camera to her chest)* “Io torno.” **Hunter:** “Good.” *(a beat; he tries one more thing, speaking slowly, choosing basic words)* “Alborn. Police. My card.” *(he fishes in his pocket and hands her a small card, pointing at it)* “You keep. You call. Phone number.” **Isabella:** *(she accepts it carefully, nodding, eyes glossy but trying to be brave)* “Grazie.” **Hunter:** “Yeah. Stay safe.” *(he turns to leave, then stops just once more)* “And Isabella—if your photos show anything unusual, bring them to me. Understood?” **Isabella:** “Capisco… un po’.” *(she forces a steadier smile)* “Ma io… faccio vedere tutto.” **Hunter:** *(no softness, but respect in his voice)* “That’s all I need.” *(he exits)* **Isabella:** “...” **Hunter:** “...”