Run: 2026-10-08-01M4DA6RTDACN37F80B207MBB4

**VOICE SHEET: "Shutter Speed," Scene 3** *Setting: Corner table outside the Lantern Bean Café, Alborn, MN. Late morning. Melanie's camera rests on the table.* **Hunter:** Morning. Hunter, Alborn Police. Mind if I sit? I'm looking into what happened at the orchard road last night. You were out there with that camera, right? The bartender said you'd been asking about the festival photos. **Melanie:** "Ja, bitte, setzen Sie sich. Entschuldigung, ich... ich habe die ganze Nacht nicht geschlafen. Ich weiß nicht, ob das wichtig ist, aber ich habe etwas fotografiert. Etwas Schreckliches." *[Yes, please, sit down. Sorry, I... I haven't slept all night. I don't know if it's important, but I photographed something. Something terrible.]* **Hunter:** Okay, I'm going to need you to slow down. English, if you can. Do you speak English? **Melanie:** "Englisch? Nein, nein. Ich verstehe nur ein paar Worte. Bitte, sprechen Sie Deutsch? Oder... Ich kann nicht richtig erklären, was ich gesehen habe." *[English? No, no. I only understand a few words. Please, do you speak German? Or... I can't properly explain what I saw.]* **Hunter:** German? No. Not even "hello." I was a Marine, I know "hooah" and how to say "where's the bathroom" in three languages, and German isn't one of them. Hang on. Let me get my phone out. **Melanie:** "Hier. Bitte, schauen Sie. Das Bild wurde gestern Abend um 22:14 Uhr gemacht. Sehen Sie den Mann zwischen den Apfelbäumen? Er hat ein Licht getragen. Und dann war er weg." *[Here. Please, look. This picture was taken last night at 10:14 p.m. Do you see the man between the apple trees? He was carrying a light. And then he was gone.]* **Hunter:** Wait. Hold on. Let me see that. Is this the screen? Okay. There's a guy, yeah. Blurry. Lantern or flashlight, maybe. You're saying he disappeared between frames? **Melanie:** "Ja! Ich habe drei Fotos gemacht. Auf dem ersten ist er da. Auf dem zweiten... nur noch das Licht auf dem Boden. Auf dem dritten ist nichts mehr. Nur Nebel. Und die Stille war so laut. Ich konnte meinen eigenen Atem hören." *[Yes! I took three photos. In the first, he's there. In the second, only the light on the ground. In the third, nothing. Just fog. And the silence was so loud. I could hear my own breathing.]* **Hunter:** Okay. So he's in one, then the light's on the ground, then he's gone. You're telling me this is the same guy from the Pruitt farm missing-persons report? **Melanie:** "Ich weiß es nicht. Aber als ich zurücklief, hörte ich jemanden meinen Namen rufen. Auf Deutsch. Mit meinem Akzent nachgeahmt. Das hat mir mehr Angst gemacht als alles andere." *[I don't know. But as I ran back, I heard someone call my name. In German. Imitating my accent. That frightened me more than anything else.]* **Hunter:** *(pauses, leans forward)* Hey. Look at me. Breathe. I'm not going to let anybody get near you, okay? Here, I'm going to take a picture of these three shots, and I'm going to send them to my partner. She speaks Spanish and a little French, so maybe we can get a translation app going on this. Can you write down your name and where you're staying? **Melanie:** "Ja. Melanie Vogt. Ich wohne im Haus der Universität am Maple Drive. Ich bin hier für das Auslandsprogramm. Es tut mir leid, dass ich so durcheinander bin. Mein Vater hätte gesagt, ich soll die Polizei rufen. Ich bin froh, dass Sie gekommen sind." *[Yes. Melanie Vogt. I'm staying at the university house on Maple Drive. I'm here for the study abroad program. I'm sorry I'm such a mess. My father would have told me to call the police. I'm glad you came.]* **Hunter:** *(writing on a napkin, tapping the pen)* Vogt. Got it. Maple Drive. You're going to stay in town, yeah? Don't go back out to the orchards tonight, Melanie. Not until we know what's out there. **Melanie:** "Ich verstehe nicht alles, aber ich verstehe das Wort 'Nein.' Ich gehe nicht zurück. Versprochen." *[I don't understand everything, but I understand the word "no." I won't go back. I promise.]* **Hunter:** *(almost smiles)* That's the one word I was hoping you'd get. *(Hunter's phone buzzes. He glances at the screen and stands.)* **Hunter:** Dispatch. Hang on. *(into phone)* Hunter. Yeah. Where? ...Okay. Ten minutes. *(to Melanie)* I've got to go. They found a truck abandoned near the creek. Stay here, finish your coffee, and keep that camera on you. Don't let it out of your sight, okay? I'll have someone from the station come get you before you walk anywhere. **Melanie:** "Danke, Herr Detektiv. Passen Sie auf sich auf. Und... die Kamera bleibt bei mir. Immer." *[Thank you, Detective. Take care of yourself. And... the camera stays with me. Always.]* **Hunter:** *(already walking away, over his shoulder)* Yeah. Good. Keep it that way. *END OF SCENE*