Run: 2026-04-24-01KQ03SMGGHEC8VR687AKA05DQ

# Voice Sheet — "The Café at the Edge of Alborn" --- **Hunter:** *(approaching the café table, showing his badge)* Morning, ma'am. Detective Hunter, Alborn PD. Mind if I sit down for a minute? **Selvi:** *(looks up from her camera, startled; clutches it tighter)* ...Huh? **Hunter:** *(points to his badge, then to himself, then gestures to the chair)* I'm with the police. Detective. Can I... sit? **Selvi:** *(nods slowly, uneasy)* ...Haan... haan, baith jaiye. **Hunter:** *(sits down; pulls out a small notebook)* Thank you. I'm asking folks around town about last Tuesday night. You see anything unusual? Anybody you didn't recognize hanging around? **Selvi:** *(her face drains of color; she sets the camera down on the table with shaking hands)* Aap... aap bhi usi baare mein? Oh God... mujhe laga main akeli hoon. Main akeli nahi hoon na? **Hunter:** *(blinks; tilts his head)* I... I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. **Selvi:** *(pressing her palms flat on the table, speaking faster now, voice trembling)* Maine dekha tha. Us raat. Ek ladki... ek ladki ko ek gaadi mein khinchte hue. Woh roti thi. Mujhe kuch karna chahiye tha — mujhe kuch karna chahiye tha par main bahut darr gayi thi! **Hunter:** *(holds up a hand gently)* Ma'am — I can't understand what you're saying. You saw something? Someone? **Selvi:** *(frustrated, points out the café window toward the tree line; mimics someone being dragged with her hands; her eyes are wet)* Haan! Haan, dekhiye! Udhhar! Pedhon ke beech... ek gaadi thi... kali gaadi... **Hunter:** *(follows her pointing; frowns)* Something in the trees? A car? **Selvi:** *(nods vigorously)* Haan, haan! Gaadi! Kali gaadi! *(mimics driving, then makes a scared face, covers her eyes, then peeks through her fingers)* **Hunter:** *(slowly)* A... black car? **Selvi:** *(exhales with relief)* Haan! Kali! BLACK! *(she repeats, more confidently)* Black car. Yes. **Hunter:** *(writes in his notebook; looks back at her)* You saw a black car. Last Tuesday. Where, exactly? **Selvi:** *(frustrated; pulls out her camera, scrolls through photos rapidly, then turns the screen toward him — a shaky, blurred shot of a dark sedan half-hidden behind trees at dusk)* Yeh... yeh dekhiye. **Hunter:** *(leans in; his eyes narrow)* ...Can I... look at this? *(gestures to the camera)* **Selvi:** *(hesitates, then pushes the camera toward him)* Haan. **Hunter:** *(studies the photo carefully)* This is the road behind the old mill? **Selvi:** *(doesn't understand, but recognizes the urgency in his face; points at the photo, then draws a rough map on a napkin — a road, trees, a small building)* Yahan. Yeh building... mill? **Hunter:** The mill. You were near the mill. *(taps the napkin)* **Selvi:** *(nods)* Mill. Haan. **Hunter:** Was anyone else with you? **Selvi:** *(shakes her head slowly; hugs her arms around herself)* Nahi... main akeli thi. Study abroad program... main yahan photography ke liye aayi hoon. Lekin us ke baad se... main raat ko so nahi paati. Har awaaz sun ke darr jaati hoon. **Hunter:** *(gently)* You were alone? Just taking photographs? **Selvi:** *(nods; whispers in Hindi)* Maine police ko bataya tha. Par unhone kaha ki shayad mujhe kuch galat dikha. Par mujhe pata hai kya dekha tha. Mujhe kuch galat nahi dikha. **Hunter:** *(notices her distress; speaks more softly)* Nobody believed you? **Selvi:** *(looks at him, searching his face; something in his expression seems to shift — recognition, perhaps, that she's telling the truth)* You... believe me? **Hunter:** *(pauses, then points to the photo on her camera, then to himself)* I'm investigating disappearances. Three people gone in two months. And you're telling me you saw something that night. *(taps his notebook)* That matters. **Selvi:** *(eyes fill with tears; she presses her hand over her mouth for a moment, then speaks quietly in Hindi)* Shukriya... shukriya ki aap mujh par vishwas karte hain. Main itni akeli mehsoos kar rahi thi. **Hunter:** *(misunderstands, but recognizes the gratitude in her tone; nods)* ...Yeah. *(clears his throat)* Look, I need to know — did you see anyone *with* the girl? A person? A man? A woman? **Selvi:** *(thinks hard; holds up one finger, then makes a broad, tall shape with her hands, then mimes a heavy build)* Ek... ek insaan tha. Bahut... *(struggles for the word; mimes being wide/stocky)* ...big. Mota. Big person. **Hunter:** *(writes)* One person. Large build. Male or female? **Selvi:** *(uncertain; tilts her hand back and forth — maybe; then mimes deep, low voice)* Mujhe nahi pata... par awaaz... awaaz bahut neechi thi. Deep voice. Jaise... gurrana. Like... growling. **Hunter:** *(writes quickly)* Deep voice. Could have been a man. **Selvi:** *(nods)* Haan... haan, shayad. **Hunter:** *(opens his mouth to ask another question — his phone buzzes. He glances at it, and his expression hardens. He holds up a finger)* I'm sorry — I have to take this. **Selvi:** *(nods; pulls her camera back and holds it against her chest)* Theek hai. **Hunter:** *(stands, answers the phone; turns away but she can hear his voice drop low)* Hunter speaking... What do you mean "found"? Where? ... I'm on my way. Don't touch anything. *(hangs up; turns back to Selvi)* **Selvi:** *(sees his face; whispers)* ...Kya hua? **Hunter:** *(struggles for a moment, then points to himself, points to the door, then makes a "call me" gesture)* I have to go. But — *(points to her, then to the camera, then holds up his hand palm-out — wait/stay)* Don't leave Alborn. Please. I need to talk to you more. Can someone here... help translate? **Selvi:** *(thinks, then nods slowly)* My program coordinator... Dr. Bennett. She speaks some Hindi. She can help. **Hunter:** Good. *(scribbles a number on his notebook page, tears it out, and slides it across the table)* Call this number when you're ready. I'll come to you. *(points to her, then to himself, then draws a line between them)* Together, we figure this out. **Selvi:** *(takes the paper; holds it tightly)* ...Theek hai. Main yahan hoon. **Hunter:** *(pauses at the door; looks back at her)* And... lock your doors at night. **Selvi:** *(nods; hugs her camera tighter)* ...Main karti hoon. *(Hunter exits. Selvi stares at the empty doorway, then down at the napkin with her rough map, and carefully tucks it inside her camera bag.)* --- **[END OF SCENE]**