Run: 2026-06-01-01KT1HKC5N5RP1CN4FGEN8YC1F

**CAFÉ ON MAIN STREET — AFTERNOON** *(Marie sits alone at a small corner table, hunched over her camera, scrolling through photos with trembling hands. Her coffee has gone cold.)* Hunter: "Excuse me, miss. Detective Hunter, Alborn PD. You got a minute?" Marie: "Pardon? I— I'm sorry, I don't—" Hunter: "It's about the festival. Saturday night. You were there with the camera, right?" Marie: "Le festival? Oui. Yes. I was photographing the—" *(her voice cracks)* "—the apples. The lights. It was so beautiful." Hunter: "Yeah, I'm sure. But later that night, after the crowd thinned out. You still around?" Marie: "I stayed late. The light was perfect for— for the—" *(she looks down at her camera, face paling)* "Non. Non, non, non..." Hunter: "Ma'am? What is it? What'd you see?" Marie: "Je l'ai vu. J'ai tout vu. I saw him. I have it— right here, on the—" *(she turns the camera around frantically)* "—regardez, look, LOOK—" Hunter: "Hey, hey, easy. I can't read that. Just— slowly. Who did you see?" Marie: "The man. By the cider tent. He was talking to the woman in the red coat, and then she was— she was just— gone. Like the others." Hunter: "Others? What others? Ma'am, I need you to—" Marie: "I don't know! I don't know anyone! I don't speak the language, I don't know this place, and people keep— keep— " *(she pushes back from the table, breathing fast)* "Je veux rentrer chez moi. I want to go home." Hunter: "Alright. Alright, just breathe. I'm gonna need to borrow that camera when you're ready, okay? Nobody's gonna hurt you." Marie: "You promise? Vous promettez?" Hunter: "I— yeah. Yeah, I promise. Just stay right here. I'm gonna grab us both a fresh cup of coffee and we'll sort this—" *(His phone buzzes. He glances at the screen. His jaw tightens.)* Hunter: "I've gotta take this. Don't go anywhere, you hear me? Don't move." Marie: "Mais— but where are you—?" Hunter: "Detective Hunter. ...Yeah, this is him. ...Another one? ...The bakery on Elm? ...Yeah, I'm five minutes out. Keep the scene clear." *(He hangs up, already shrugging on his jacket.)* Marie: "Qu'est-ce qui se passe? What's happening?" Hunter: "I gotta run. Another one's gone missing. You stay put, you understand? Stay. Here. I'll send someone who speaks the— the French thing— to come talk to you." Marie: "Attendez— please—" *(He's already halfway out the door, phone pressed back to his ear.)* *(Marie looks down at her camera. Her thumb hovers over the photo of the man by the cider tent. She closes the camera slowly, presses it against her chest, and stares at the empty chair across from her.)*