Run: 2026-07-07-01KWZ3J1QB1MJV155EWG2J5C9Y

**[SCENE: Interior of "The Copper Kettle Café" in Alborn, MN. Late afternoon. Golden light streams through the windows. MARIE (30) sits alone at a corner table, her camera in her hands, scrolling through photos on the display screen. She is visibly distracted, occasionally glancing toward the window. A half-finished latte sits cooling beside her. HUNTER (35) enters, scanning the room before spotting her and approaching her table.]** --- Hunter: "Excuse me, miss? I'm Detective Hunter with the Alborn Police Department. I'm sorry to bother you, but I was hoping you might be able to help me with something. There was an incident at the orchard two nights ago—the night of the festival kickoff. We're trying to track down anyone who was in the area. I was told you might have been taking pictures out there." Marie: *looks up, eyes widening slightly* "Pardon? Je... je ne comprends pas l'anglais. Je suis désolée." Hunter: *frowning, pulling out a notepad* "I'm sorry, I don't... Do you speak English? At all?" Marie: *shakes her head slowly, looking increasingly uncomfortable* "Non. Je ne parle pas anglais. Je suis française. Je suis ici pour mes études. S'il vous plaît, je ne comprends rien." Hunter: *sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose* "Okay. Alright. This is... Hang on." *He pulls out his phone, taps at a translation app awkwardly, then holds it up to her, showing the screen which reads: "Were you at the orchard two nights ago?"* Marie: *stares at the screen, her face draining of color. Her hands tighten around the camera.* "L'orchard... oui. Oui, j'y étais. La nuit... la nuit où la femme a disparu." *She swallows hard.* "Je l'ai vue. La femme. Elle marchait seule, près des arbres, et... et un homme est venu. Je ne l'ai pas vu clairement. Il faisait sombre. Mais je l'ai vu sur ma photo—je l'ai photographié sans le savoir." *She taps the camera's display, her fingers trembling.* "Ici. Regardez. Là, dans le fond." Hunter: *leans in, looking at the camera screen, though it's clear he doesn't understand her words. He points at the photo.* "This... this is the orchard? That night?" Marie: *nods quickly* "Oui. Oui, l'orchard. La nuit." *She points to a shadowy figure in the background of one of her landscape shots.* "L'homme. Là. Vous voyez? Il portait une veste... une veste rouge, je pense. Et il marchait derrière elle. Je ne savais pas... je ne savais pas ce qui se passait. J'ai juste pris des photos du paysage. Du coucher de soleil." Hunter: *squinting at the image, then looking at her with a mixture of frustration and urgency* "I can't... I need to understand what you're telling me. Do you have someone I can call? A translator? Someone from your program?" Marie: *wipes at her eyes, shaking* "Mon professeur... oui, peut-être. Mais s'il vous plaît, cet homme sur la photo—il la suivait. J'ai peur. J'ai très peur. Quelque chose n'allait pas. La façon dont il marchait... comme s'il ne voulait pas être vu." Hunter: *holding up a hand, speaking slowly as if it might help* "I understand you're scared. I can see that. Just... stay here, okay? Don't leave town. Can you understand that? Don't... leave." *He gestures broadly, pointing to the ground.* Marie: *confused but catching the gist* "Rester? Ici? Oui, je reste. Mais vous devez regarder la photo. Regardez l'homme. Il... il avait quelque chose dans sa main. Je crois que c'était un... un outil? Je ne sais pas le mot. Quelque chose de métallique." Hunter: *growing increasingly frustrated with the barrier, his jaw tightening* "Damn it. Okay. Okay, listen—I'm going to get someone who speaks French. Someone from the college. Just... stay right here. Don't delete anything on that camera. Don't—" *His phone buzzes loudly in his pocket. He pulls it out, glances at the screen, and his expression shifts to stone.* "Hunter here." *A pause. His eyes narrow.* "When?" *Another pause.* "Where'd they find him?" *He turns away from Marie slightly, voice dropping low.* "On the same property? ...No, don't touch anything. I'm on my way." Marie: *watches him, clutching the camera to her chest* "Quoi? Qu'est-ce qui se passe? Quelque chose de mal?" Hunter: *turning back to her, his expression grave* "I have to go. Stay here. Don't leave Alborn. I'll find someone to talk to you—someone who speaks French. Just... keep that camera safe." *He points at the camera, then at her, then at the floor, hoping the message translates.* "It's important. Très... important." *He butchers the pronunciation badly, but the meaning is clear.* Marie: *nods, tears welling in her eyes* "Oui. Oui, je comprends. Je garde les photos. S'il vous plaît... soyez prudent. L'homme sur la photo... il y a quelque chose de très mauvais ici. Quelque chose de très mauvais." Hunter: *hesitates, clearly catching the emotion if not the words, then gives a curt nod* "I'll be back. Don't leave." **[Hunter strides out of the café, phone pressed to his ear, already barking orders. Marie sits alone, staring down at the photo on her camera—the shadowy figure in the red jacket, frozen mid-stride, something metallic glinting in his hand. Outside, the autumn light fades, and the café grows quieter. She shivers, though it isn't cold.]** ---