Run: 2026-09-02-01M1GVXFVCFTPH28VKT39WPP91

*Scene: The Cider Press Café, Main Street, Alborn, MN — the Tuesday after the apple festival. Isabella sits alone by the window, scrolling through photos on her camera. Hunter approaches, badge in hand.* --- **Isabella:** "Mmh... il tramonto era perfetto, ma queste ombre sono troppo scure. Forse se schiarisco un po'..." **Hunter:** "Ma'am. Detective Hunter, Alborn PD. Mind if I stand here a minute? Couple of questions. You were out near Keller's Orchard Saturday night, after the fireworks. A witness puts you on the trail with that camera." **Isabella:** "Oh! Mi scusi... mi scusi tanto. Lei è... della polizia? Non parlo inglese, mi dispiace. Parla italiano? No?... Oh no." **Hunter:** "Saturday. Night. Keller's Orchard. You. Trail. Camera. Did you see a woman out there? Gray coat, walking alone?" **Isabella:** "Non capisco... mi dispiace, davvero. Può parlare più piano? Sono qui solo per studiare — sono italiana, sono arrivata tre settimane fa, io non—" **Hunter:** "English? Do you speak any English? Even a little?" **Isabella:** "Inglese? No, no! Solo italiano! Mi dispiace tanto..." **Hunter:** "Of course you don't. Okay, Hunter, think. ...That flyer on the wall — the apple festival. Saturday. Festival. Orchard. You. There." **Isabella:** "La festa delle mele? Sì! C'ero anch'io! È stata bellissima — ho fatto così tante foto, guardi!" **Hunter:** "The camera. Right. Saturday night — night — you had this with you. Photos?" *(mimes pressing a shutter)* "Did you take... photos?" **Isabella:** "Fotografie? Sì, certo, tante! Al tramonto i meli erano dorati, era tutto così bello... Ma perché? Perché le interessano le mie foto? È successo qualcosa?" **Hunter:** "Photos. May I? Just the evening ones. Saturday. Night." *(points at the screen)* "Night." **Isabella:** "La sera? La sera della festa?... Oddio. È per la signora, vero? La donna che è scomparsa? Ne parlavano qui al caffè stamattina... dicono che è sparita vicino al frutteto..." **Hunter:** "Hey — hey, easy. Take a breath. You're shaking. I'm not here about you, ma'am. I need to know what you saw. Orchard. Saturday night. Anyone? Anyone at all?" **Isabella:** "Lei non capisce e io non so come dirglielo! C'era un uomo — nel frutteto! L'ho visto dal sentiero! Trascinava qualcosa di pesante, un sacco, o un tappeto, non lo so! Aveva una lanterna — ho pensato che fosse un contadino, ma era tardi, era buio, e poi... poi ho sentito urlare. Una donna. Sono scappata. Mi vergogno tanto, sono scappata e basta..." **Hunter:** "Whoa, whoa — slow down. 'Frutteto' — that's the orchard, isn't it? Orchard?" *(points at the flyer)* "You saw a man? In the orchard? What man?" **Isabella:** "Sì! Il frutteto! Un uomo! Alto! Con un cappello, come quelli dei contadini! Non ho visto la faccia, era tutto scuro — c'era solo la lanterna..." **Hunter:** "Tall. Hat. No face. That's not much to go— ...Hold on. Go back. One to the left. There — stop. Who is that? Right there, by the fence line. Behind the trees." **Isabella:** "Quello? Non lo so! Non me n'ero accorta! Ho scattato la foto proprio in quel momento, mentre l'uomo spariva tra gli alberi... Guardi l'angolo, vicino alla staccionata! Lo vede? LO VEDE?" **Hunter:** "I see it, ma'am. Believe me — I see it." *(phone buzzes)* "Excuse me one second. ...Hunter. ...When? ...Is the scene secure? ...No. Nobody touches anything until I get there — twenty minutes. ...Copy. On my way." **Isabella:** "Aspetti! La foto! Deve prendere la foto! Oppure — posso venire con lei? La prego, è importante! LA FOTO!" **Hunter:** "I can't understand one word of that, and I've gotta run. Stay here. Stay. Here. I'll come back with somebody who speaks Italian. Until then — don't leave town. Please." **Isabella:** "Non me ne vado, non si preoccupi! Ma faccia in fretta, detective... quella sera avevo così tanta paura... Torni presto. La prego, torni presto." **Hunter:** "'Detective.' Well — you got one word right. Keep that camera close, ma'am. Close. Safe. I'll be back for it — and for whatever you saw." --- *Italian translation key (for reference):* - "Mmh... il tramonto era perfetto..." → "Hmm... the sunset was perfect, but these shadows are too dark. Maybe if I lighten them a little..." - "Mi scusi... della polizia?..." → "I'm so sorry... are you police? I don't speak English, I'm sorry. Do you speak Italian? No?... Oh no." - "Non capisco..." → "I don't understand... I'm sorry, really. Can you speak more slowly? I'm only here to study — I'm Italian, I arrived three weeks ago, I—" - "La festa delle mele?..." → "The apple festival? Yes! I was there too! It was beautiful — I took so many photos, look!" - "Fotografie?..." → "Photos? Yes, of course, many! At sunset the apple trees were golden, everything was so beautiful... But why? Why are you interested in my photos? Did something happen?" - "La sera della festa?..." → "The evening? The evening of the festival?... Oh God. It's about the lady, isn't it? The woman who disappeared? They were talking about it here at the café this morning... they say she vanished near the orchard..." - "Lei non capisce..." → "You don't understand and I don't know how to tell you! There was a man — in the orchard! I saw him from the trail! He was dragging something heavy — a sack, or a rug, I don't know! He had a lantern — I thought he was a farmer, but it was late, it was dark, and then... then I heard screaming. A woman. I ran. I'm so ashamed, I just ran away..." - "Un uomo! Alto!..." → "A man! Tall! With a hat, like the farmers wear! I didn't see his face, it was all dark — there was only the lantern..." - "Quello? Non lo so!..." → "That? I don't know! I hadn't noticed! I took the photo at that exact moment, as the man disappeared between the trees... Look at the corner, near the fence! Do you see it? DO YOU SEE IT?" - "Aspetti! La foto!..." → "Wait! The photo! You have to take the photo! Or — can I come with you? Please, it's important! THE PHOTO!" - "Non me ne vado..." → "I'm not leaving, don't worry! But hurry, detective... that night I was so frightened... Come back soon. Please, come back soon."