Run: 2026-09-02-01M1GV1YPE3832BA8WWN8WGV52

**VOICE SHEET — SCENE: "The Girl with the Camera"** *Interior, café in downtown Alborn, MN — mid-morning. Melanie sits alone at a window table, scrolling through photos on her camera. Hunter enters, spots her, approaches.* --- Hunter: "Ma'am. Detective Hunter, Alborn PD. Don't get up — this'll only take a minute. I'm asking around about Friday night down by the old mill bridge. Amelia Lindgren. Missing since that night. Earl at the feed store says a young German lady was out there with a camera around sunset. That'd be you, I take it?" Melanie: *(startled, clutching her camera)* "Oh! Verzeihung — ich... ich habe Sie nicht kommen sehen. Ich verstehe Sie nicht. Es tut mir leid, ich spreche kein Englisch. Überhaupt keins." *(Oh! Forgive me — I... I didn't see you come in. I don't understand you. I'm sorry, I don't speak English. None at all.)* Hunter: *(blinking)* "English? Do you speak any Eng—? Yeah. Yeah, that's what I figured. Of course the one witness in Alborn who doesn't speak English. That's about my luck this month. Okay. Names, then. Amelia. Lindgren. Amelia *Lindgren*." Melanie: *(troubled, lowering her camera)* "Amelia Lindgren... Die junge Frau, die vermisst wird? Ja... ja, davon redet die ganze Stadt. Im Café, im Laden... Warum fragen Sie ausgerechnet mich? Ich kenne sie doch nicht einmal." *(Amelia Lindgren... the young woman who's missing? Yes... yes, the whole town's talking about it. In the café, at the shop... Why are you asking me, of all people? I don't even know her.)* Hunter: "Because you're the only camera in this town that isn't attached to a phone, and you had it out at that bridge Friday at sundown. Photos. Did you take photos?" *(mimes pressing a shutter)* Melanie: "Bitte, ich verstehe wirklich nichts... Aber Sie wollen wissen, ob ich dort war, stimmt's? Am Freitag? An der Brücke?" *(her voice drops)* "Oh Gott. Ja. Ja, ich war dort." *(Please, I really don't understand anything... But you want to know whether I was there, don't you? On Friday? At the bridge? Oh God. Yes. Yes, I was there.)* Hunter: "Friday! You got 'Friday.' Okay — good. Halfway there. Now: photos?" *(points at the camera)* Melanie: "Fotos? Ja... natürlich fotografiere ich — Landschaften, den Fluss, die Bäume, das ist doch keine Sünde..." *(shaken)* "Aber an dem Abend... an dem Abend habe ich etwas gesehen, das ich so schnell nicht vergesse." *(Photos? Yes... of course I take photos — landscapes, the river, the trees, that's hardly a sin... But that evening... that evening I saw something I won't forget in a hurry.)* Hunter: "Slow down, ma'am. Not a word of that landed. Here—" *(grabs a napkin, sketches)* "Bridge. Man. Car. Did you see a man? A car? Friday night?" Melanie: *(words tumbling out)* "Ein Auto — ja! Ja, ein blaues Auto! Kurz vor neun hat es an der Brücke gehalten. Ich dachte erst, Ausflügler wie ich — aber dann ist ein Mann ausgestiegen. Er hat sie am Arm gepackt. Sie hat sich gewehrt, wirklich gewehrt, und der Fluss war so laut, und ich war viel zu weit weg..." *(A car — yes! Yes, a blue car! Just before nine it stopped at the bridge. At first I thought, day-trippers like me — but then a man got out. He grabbed her by the arm. She fought back, really fought, and the river was so loud, and I was much too far away...)* Hunter: "'Auto' — car! Blue?" *(points at a blue mug on the table)* "Blue car. Bridge. Before nine. And a man. Keep going — hell, I'm getting fluent." Melanie: *(voice trembling)* "Und dann hat er auf einmal aufgehört. Er hat den Fluss hinaufgeschaut — direkt zu mir. Und er hat gewunken. Einfach so. Er hat gewunken, und dann ist er mit ihr abgefahren, Richtung alter Steinbruch. Ich bin gerannt, so schnell ich konnte. Ich weiß nicht einmal, wie man hier die Polizei ruft! Kein Empfang, niemand, der Deutsch versteht — ich habe seit Freitag kaum geschlafen." *(And then he suddenly stopped. He looked up the river — straight at me. And he waved. Just like that. He waved, and then he drove off with her, toward the old quarry. I ran, as fast as I could. I don't even know how to call the police here! No signal, no one who understands German — I've barely slept since Friday.)* Hunter: "Hey. Whatever you just said — breathe. You're safe. The photos. Are they still on here?" *(taps the camera gently)* Melanie: "Ja. Alles noch da. Sehen Sie? Das Kennzeichen ist unscharf — der Flussnebel, es tut mir leid —, aber hier, das ist sein Gesicht, im Profil. Glauben Sie, dass man ihn damit finden kann?" *(Yes. It's all still there. See? The license plate is blurry — the river mist, I'm sorry — but here, this is his face, in profile. Do you think they can find him with this?)* Hunter: *(studying the screen; low whistle)* "Find him? Ma'am, this is the first honest face I've laid eyes on in three weeks. I need everything on this card. Copy — a copy? You know..." *(mimes handing something over)* Melanie: "Kopie! Ja, natürlich — nehmen Sie alles! Ich wollte das doch die ganze Zeit jemandem geben, aber ich habe mich einfach nicht getraut..." *(Copy! Yes, of course — take everything! I've wanted to give this to someone all along, but I just never dared...)* Hunter: "Well, you're getting brave at a heck of a time. There's a gal at the county office who speaks German — or Norwegian, one of those. We'll get you a proper interview, a proper statement, the works. Apple festival crowd rolls in Thursday, three thousand strangers on my streets — I want this wrapped before they get here. First, let me see if this thing has a translator—" Melanie: "Was machen Sie da? Mit dem Telefon? Ich... ich verstehe das alles nicht, aber ich helfe Ihnen, versprochen. Ich muss es einfach loswerden." *(What are you doing? With the phone? I... I don't understand any of this, but I'll help you, I promise. I just have to get it off my chest.)* Hunter: *(phone buzzing; he checks it, then answers)* "Hunter. ... When? ... You're sure it's the same bridge? ... No — don't let a soul near it. Tape off the whole trailhead, the fire road too. I'm twelve minutes out." *(hangs up)* "Damn it." Melanie: *(alarmed)* "Was ist passiert? Sie sind ganz blass... ist sie... ist etwas Schlimmes passiert?" *(What happened? You've gone all pale... is she... has something terrible happened?)* Hunter: "That's my problem, not yours. Change of plans — the station keeps till morning. You. Stay here." *(points at the table)* "Finish your coffee, don't wander off alone. Camera stays on you, and those photos go to no one — no one — but me." *(points at the camera, then at himself)* Melanie: "Ich verstehe zwar kein Wort... aber ich bleibe hier, versprochen. Bitte, Detective — finden Sie den Mann aus dem blauen Auto. Und passen Sie gut auf sich auf." *(I don't understand a word... but I'll stay here, I promise. Please, Detective — find the man from the blue car. And take good care of yourself.)* Hunter: *(backing toward the door)* "Twelve minutes, ma'am. Lock your door tonight — detective's orders. Ingrid!" *(to the counter)* "Ingrid — ain't your people from New Ulm? German! Get over here, sit with her till I call!" Melanie: *(alone, to herself, barely above a whisper)* "Er hat gewunken... Er hat mich gesehen und einfach gewunken. Und jetzt fragt ausgerechnet der Detective nach der Brücke... Ach, Melanie — in was für ein Bild hast du dich da nur selbst hineinfotografiert?" *(He waved... He saw me and simply waved. And now, of all things, the detective is asking about the bridge... Oh, Melanie — what kind of picture have you gone and photographed yourself into?)* *Hunter exits. Through the window, Melanie watches his cruiser peel away toward the river. She holds the camera against her chest.*