Run: 2026-04-24-01KPZV9X3HQGQC40QWQR3ZQYVB

**Voice Sheet: Café Encounter — Alborn, MN** --- Maria: *(murmuring to herself, scrolling through camera)* "Dios mío... no puede ser. No puede ser." Hunter: "Ma'am? Mind if I have a word? Detective Hunter, Alborn PD." Maria: *(startled, looking up)* "¿Perdón? ¿Policía? Sí, sí, claro, siéntese." Hunter: "I'll take that as a yes. You were out by the orchard road yesterday evening, weren't you? One of the festival volunteers said they saw a young woman with a camera." Maria: "Lo siento, no le entiendo bien... ¿la carretera? Sí, yo estaba allí, tomando fotos del atardecer, pero..." Hunter: "...Right. Okay. You don't speak English." Maria: "Un poco, muy poco. Perdone. Estoy aprendiendo." Hunter: "Camera. You had your camera. Pictures?" *(mimes taking a photo)* Maria: *(nodding rapidly)* "¡Sí, sí! Fotos, fotos. Pero, mire, mire esto..." *(turns camera screen toward him, hands trembling)* "Yo no lo vi cuando tomé la foto. Lo vi esta mañana, cuando estaba revisando las imágenes. ¡Hay alguien entre los árboles! Un hombre. Y... y está arrastrando algo. Algo grande." Hunter: "Whoa, whoa — slow down. I'm not catching a word of that. Let me see." *(leans in, studying the screen)* "...Son of a. That's — that's by the Petersen property. That's exactly where we lost the Dahl kid's trail." Maria: "¿Lo ve? ¿Lo ve también? No estoy loca, ¿verdad? Pensé que era una sombra, pero no, es una persona. Tengo miedo, detective. Tengo mucho miedo." Hunter: "Hey. Hey, look at me. You're okay. You did the right thing." Maria: *(eyes welling up)* "No sé qué hacer. Vine aquí a estudiar, a tomar fotos bonitas, y ahora... ahora esto. Mis padres, si supieran... Dios." Hunter: "I don't know what you're saying, but I can tell you're shook up. It's alright. You're safe here." *(slides a napkin across)* "Look — I need this photo. The whole memory card, actually. Can I...?" *(points to camera, then to himself)* Maria: "¿La cámara? ¿Se la llevo? No, no, por favor, es mi trabajo, mis fotos del semestre..." Hunter: "Just the card. The little card. Photos." *(mimes pulling something small out)* Maria: *(understanding)* "Ah, ¡la tarjeta! Sí, sí, un momento." *(fumbles, pops out SD card, hands it over)* "Tómela. Pero, por favor, las otras fotos... son importantes para mí." Hunter: "You'll get them back. I promise. Scout's honor." *(pockets the card)* "I'm gonna send someone by who speaks Spanish. Officer Ruiz. Ru-iz. She'll find you. Okay?" Maria: "¿Ruiz? ¿Habla español?" Hunter: "Yeah. Ruiz. Sí." *(gives a small, awkward thumbs up)* Maria: *(a faint, relieved laugh)* "Gracias. Muchas gracias, detective." *(Hunter's phone buzzes. He answers.)* Hunter: "Hunter. — Yeah. — When? — You're kidding me. At the Petersen place? No, no, I'm on my way. Five minutes. Don't let anyone near that barn." *(hangs up)* Maria: "¿Qué pasó? Se ve preocupado..." Hunter: "I gotta go. Something's come up." *(stands, tosses a few bills on the table)* "Coffee's on me. Stay here. Stay — " *(points at table firmly)* " — here. Ruiz. Twenty minutes. Okay?" Maria: "¿Me quedo aquí? Sí, sí, me quedo. Vaya, vaya." Hunter: "Good. And Maria — it is Maria, right? Your name's on the camera strap — you did good today. Real good." Maria: *(softly, as he leaves)* "Tenga cuidado, detective. Por favor. Lo que hay en esa foto... no es bueno. No es bueno." *(Hunter pauses at the door, glances back, gives a single nod as if he understood the tone if not the words, and exits. Maria wraps both hands around her coffee cup, watching him go.)* **[END SCENE]**