Run: 2026-09-02-01M1GVGV469YW0K2W6D35XGETY

*INT. SUNRISE CAFÉ, MAIN STREET — ALBORN, MN — MORNING. Selvi in a corner booth, hunched over her camera. Hunter approaches, badge already out.* *(Selvi's dialogue is in Hindi. Bracketed translations are for the reader only — Hunter understands none of it.)* --- **Hunter:** "Ma'am. Detective Hunter, Alborn Police." *(taps badge)* "You're the one who's always out wandering with that camera, right? Folks at the co-op say you were up by Miller's Orchard late last night. Same orchard they're stringing lights in for the apple festival. I need two minutes." **Selvi:** *(looking up slowly, troubled; in Hindi)* "आप... आप पुलिस हैं? हाँ, मैं वहाँ थी। तस्वीरें ले रही थी।" ["You... you're police? Yes, I was there. Taking photographs."] **Hunter:** *(squinting)* "...Come again?" **Selvi:** *(faster, shaken; in Hindi)* "मैं वहाँ थी, हाँ। उन पेड़ों के पास। रात के क़रीब ग्यारह बजे।" ["I was there, yes. Near those trees. Around eleven at night."] **Hunter:** *(lowering into the booth, slow and loud the way people do when it won't help)* "Do — you — speak — English? Anybody at this table?" *(beat)* "No? Okay. Okay." *(He pulls a folded flyer from his jacket and flattens it on the table: a man's photo — DALE ERICKSON, LAST SEEN 10/03.)* **Hunter:** "New plan, then. Pictures. You seen this man? Him. Last night. Anywhere." **Selvi:** *(hand to her mouth; in Hindi)* "यही वह आदमी है। यही! जो पेड़ों के नीचे खड़ा था।" ["That's the man. That's him! The one standing under the trees."] **Hunter:** *(leaning forward)* "That a yes? That reads like a yes. Where, ma'am. Point. Point at something." **Selvi:** *(turning the camera around, hands trembling; in Hindi)* "देखिए। यह रहा — इसी तरह खड़ा था। बहुत देर तक बिल्कुल नहीं हिला। मैंने सोचा, शायद वह भी तस्वीरें ले रहा है, मेरी तरह। फिर मैंने कैमरा उठाया, और जब दोबारा देखा — वह गायब हो चुका था।" ["Look. Here he is — he stood just like this. Didn't move at all for a long time. I thought, maybe he's taking photographs too, like me. Then I raised my camera, and when I looked again — he was gone."] **Hunter:** *(staring at her, then the camera, entirely lost)* "Ma'am, that was a beautiful speech and I understood none of it. Not a word. But you're pointing at my missing man, so we're getting somewhere." *(holds out a hand)* "Let me see that." **Selvi:** *(flipping through photos before surrendering the camera; in Hindi)* "और यह देखिए — इसे बड़ा कीजिए। उसके हाथ में कुछ चमक रहा था। चाकू नहीं... कुछ और। धातु जैसी कोई चीज़।" ["And look at this — enlarge it. Something was glinting in his hand. Not a knife... something else. Some kind of metal thing."] **Hunter:** *(zooming in, gruff)* "Well, I'll be. That's the fence line, third row past the press house. And that glint — flashlight, maybe. A tool. Or nothing at all. But nobody stands stone-still at eleven at night in Alborn holding nothing." *(mimes a shutter click, taps his watch)* "Eleven? This. Eleven?" **Selvi:** *(nodding quickly; in Hindi)* "हाँ, हाँ — ग्यारह बजे! और यह भी देखिए। यह गाड़ी वह आदमी गायब होने के बाद आई थी। धीरे-धीरे, बत्तियाँ बुझाकर। काली रंग की। पीछे का नंबर नहीं दिखा... लेकिन दरवाज़े पर कोई निशान था। यह देखिए।" ["Yes, yes — eleven o'clock! And look at this too. This vehicle came after the man vanished. Slowly, lights off. Black. I couldn't see the plate at the back... but there was some kind of mark on the door. Look here."] **Hunter:** *(dragging a hand down his face)* "Black car. Slow. Lights off. Alright, I'm following. Mostly." *(dry, half to himself)* "Third one this month, and the only witness in town talks right past me. That's a good one, God. Real funny." *(He flips his notepad around, block letters: NAME? WHERE FROM? Selvi takes the pen and writes: सेल्वी। दिल्ली से। पढ़ाई के लिए छह महीने के लिए आई हूँ। ["Selvi. From Delhi. I came for six months, for my studies."])* **Hunter:** *(reading it upside down, then right side up)* "...That's real helpful." *(pocketing the pen)* "Alright, 'Selvi-something.' Till I learn better, you're 'the photographer.'" **Selvi:** *(agitated now, pointing at the orchard photo; in Hindi)* "आप समझ नहीं रहे — वह आदमी मुझे देख रहा था। मैं तस्वीर के लिए झुकी हुई थी, और जब सिर उठाया, वह चला गया था। इतने सारे पेड़ों के बीच से, इतनी जल्दी? वह मुझे देख रहा था, और फिर वह ऐसे गायब हुआ जैसे वहाँ था ही नहीं।" ["You don't understand — that man was watching me. I was bent down for a photograph, and when I raised my head, he was walking away. From among all those trees, that fast? He was watching me, and then he vanished like he was never there at all."] **Hunter:** *(hands up, placating, though clearly lost)* "Hey — whoa. Easy. I don't know what you just said, ma'am, but you're saying it pretty hard. Breathe." *(His phone buzzes. He checks it, jaw tightening, and answers.)* **Hunter:** "...Hunter. Yeah. Where?" *(beat)* "Nobody touches anything. I'm coming." *(stands, pockets the phone, points at her, at the camera, at the seat)* "Ma'am — stay. Right here. Don't go anywhere, and don't delete one thing off that camera. Every frame, you hear me? You just got a lot more interesting." **Selvi:** *(rising halfway, urgent; in Hindi)* "रुकिए — अभी नहीं! मेरे पास और तस्वीरें हैं, पूरी रात की! आप जाइए मत — मेरी गुज़ारिश है —" ["Wait — not yet! I have more photographs, the whole night's worth! Please don't go — I'm begging you —"] **Hunter:** *(already at the door, two fingers touched to his brow — a marine's farewell)* "Somebody from the department'll come by for your statement. Sit tight. And keep that camera close." *(The bell over the door jingles. He's gone. Selvi sinks back into the booth and hugs the camera to her chest.)* **Selvi:** *(quietly, to herself; in Hindi)* "वह कुछ नहीं समझ पाए... और मैं कुछ नहीं बता पाई।" *(beat, eyes on the door)* "पर उस आदमी ने मुझे देखा है। तो अब... मैं उसे देखूँगी।" ["He couldn't understand a thing... and I couldn't tell him anything." *(beat, eyes on the door)* "But that man has seen me. So now... I'll be watching him."]