Run: 2026-04-24-01KQ076G9T17646HPAY8N4BJCH

# At the Alborn Café **Hunter:** "Excuse me, miss? I'm Detective Hunter. Mind if I sit down for a moment? I just have a few questions." **Marie:** "…Pardon ?" **Hunter:** "I'm investigating the recent disappearance of a local man — Gerald Whitmore. He was last seen near the north end of town. Were you around that area at all this past week?" **Marie:** "Oh… mon Dieu. Une disparition ? Je… je ne sais pas ce que vous voulez dire. Je ne parle pas anglais…" **Hunter:** "Ma'am? I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that. Are you — are you speaking French?" **Marie:** "*Oui, français. Parlez-vous français ?*" **Hunter:** "No. No, I don't. Not a word. Uh…" *clears throat* "Do… you… speak… English?" **Marie:** "English? Non, non… très peu. Je suis désolée. I am… student. Here for… *études*." *gestures vaguely, clutching her camera tighter* **Hunter:** "Okay. Okay, let's try this." *pulls out a notepad and sketches a rough map* "This is Alborn. North." *points* "You — camera — here? Photo?" *mimes taking a picture* **Marie:** "Ah — *oui !* Photo, yes." *pulls up her camera and scrolls through recent images, then stops. Her face goes pale.* "Je… j'ai vu quelque chose. Près de la forêt. Un homme… il courait. Il avait l'air… terrifié." **Hunter:** "I don't understand a single word you're saying, but you look shaken. What did you see?" **Marie:** *points to a photo on her camera — a blurry figure at the tree line, barely visible* "Voilà. *L'homme.* The… man?" **Hunter:** *leans in, squinting* "Wait — where was this taken? That's the edge of the Whitfield property." *looks up at her* "When was this?" **Marie:** "*Quand?* Uh… *hier.* Yesterday. Mardi — Tuesday." **Hunter:** "Tuesday. That matches the timeline." *writes in his notepad, then looks back at her* "Listen, I'm going to need you to come to the station. With a translator. Can you do that?" **Marie:** "*La station de police?* …Yes. *Oui.*" **Hunter:** "Good. That's—" *his phone rings. He holds up a finger.* "Hold on." *answers* "Hunter speaking." *pause* "What? …When did that happen? …No, don't touch anything. I'm on my way." *hangs up and stands abruptly* **Marie:** "…*Qu'est-ce qui se passe ?*" **Hunter:** "I have to go. Something's come up." *slides a card across the table* "Call that number. We'll finish this conversation." **Marie:** *takes the card, her hands trembling* "…*D'accord.* Okay." **Hunter:** *already walking toward the door, then stops and turns back* "And miss? Don't go near that forest again." **Marie:** *clutches her camera and whispers to herself* "…Je ne crois pas que je pourrais, même si je le voulais."