Run: 2026-09-03-01M1KCA32XCZ6YCRFCCJRWSZG6

**Setting:** A small, sun-dappled cafe in Alborn, MN. The air smells of coffee and apple cinnamon. MELANIE sits at a small table by the window, her camera in her hands. She is scrolling through photos, her brow furrowed. HUNTER, in a plainclothes jacket and jeans, approaches her table. --- **Melanie:** (Quietly, to herself, staring at the camera screen) Nein... das kann nicht sein. Es ist zu dunkel. **Hunter:** (He stops at her table, holding up a badge) Excuse me, miss. Are you Melanie Wagner? **Melanie:** (She jumps slightly, looking up with wide, startled eyes) Ja? Ich... ja, das bin ich. **Hunter:** I'm Detective Hunter. I'm looking into the incident at the old Peterson farm last night. I was told you were out there, taking pictures. **Melanie:** (Her face pales. She clutches the camera to her chest) Der Bauernhof... Ja, ich war dort. Es war... furchtbar. Einfach furchtbar. **Hunter:** (He pulls out a small notepad, his expression serious but patient) I'm sorry, I don't... I don't speak German. Can you tell me what you saw? In English? **Melanie:** (She takes a shaky breath, struggling to find the words) I... I see... a light. A man. He was... (She makes a gesture of something falling) ...down. And then... nothing. The dark. It was so fast. **Hunter:** A man went down? Did you see who he was? Or who else was there? **Melanie:** (She shakes her head, her eyes filling with tears) Nein. I don't know. It was a shadow. Zwei Schatten. Two... two shadows. They were fighting. I was so far away. I only have... (She looks down at her camera) ...this. **Hunter:** (He leans forward slightly, his voice low and steady) What do you have? A photo? **Melanie:** (She turns the camera screen towards him, her hand trembling. The image is grainy and dark, showing only indistinct shapes against a moonlit field) Es ist nichts. Just shapes. But I know what I saw. It was not an accident. **Hunter:** (He squints at the screen, his jaw tightening) This is from last night? What time? **Melanie:** (She pulls the camera back, hugging it again) After midnight. I was taking pictures of the stars. The farm was just... there. I heard shouting. **Hunter:** And you didn't call the police? **Melanie:** (A flash of frustration crosses her face) I tried! My phone... it had no... no signal. And I was scared. I ran. I ran all the way back to my room. I am so sorry. **Hunter:** (He softens his tone slightly) It's okay. You're talking to me now. That's what matters. Did you see a car? A truck? Anything that stood out? **Melanie:** (She closes her eyes, thinking) Ein Auto... Ja. A dark car. It was loud. It drove away very fast, down the old road. I did not see the... the number. **Hunter:** (He writes this down) A dark car, loud engine, heading down the old road. That's helpful. Thank you. **Melanie:** (She looks up at him, her expression pleading) You will find him? The man who was... down? **Hunter:** (He meets her gaze, his own expression grim) I'm going to do my best. That's my job. (His phone buzzes in his pocket. He pulls it out, glances at the screen, and his face hardens.) **Hunter:** I have to take this. Excuse me. (He turns slightly away, answering the call in a low, terse voice.) **Hunter:** Hunter. ... Yeah. ... Where? ... Don't let anyone touch anything. I'm on my way. (He ends the call and turns back to Melanie, his notepad already tucked away.) **Hunter:** I have to go. Thank you for your time, Ms. Wagner. We may need to speak again. Don't leave town. **Melanie:** (She nods, her voice a whisper) I will be here. **Hunter:** (He gives her a curt nod, then turns and strides out of the cafe, his posture tense and purposeful. Melanie watches him go, then looks back down at the dark, blurry image on her camera screen, a single tear tracing a path down her cheek.)