Run: 2026-10-08-01M4DAENST4DGDGP3Q6XE3GS0Q

**SCENE: The Corner Café, Main Street, Alborn, MN. Late morning. Maria sits alone at a window table, turning her camera over in her hands. Hunter approaches and sets down his coffee.** **Hunter:** Morning. Mind if I sit? I'm Detective Hunter. I'm with the county. I'd like to ask you a few questions about the disappearance on Route 9 last Thursday. **Maria:** (*nervously, in Spanish*) ¿Disculpe? No entiendo. Lo siento... ¿Usted es policía? Yo no sé nada de eso, de verdad. *[Excuse me? I don't understand. I'm sorry... You're a police officer? I don't know anything about that, really.]* **Hunter:** Okay. Sure. Let's start simple. You were near the orchard road Thursday night? **Maria:** (*shaking her head, voice trembling*) Sí, estaba allí. Tomé fotos. Y vi algo... alguien. No sé qué fue. Tengo miedo. *[Yes, I was there. I took photos. And I saw something... someone. I don't know what it was. I'm scared.]* **Hunter:** (*leaning forward, frowning*) Whoa, slow down. I'm not catching much of that. Can you say it in English? **Maria:** (*pressing her lips together, then turning the camera toward him*) Mira. Aquí. Las fotos. Mira, por favor. *[Look. Here. The photos. Look, please.]* **Hunter:** (*taking the camera, squinting at the small screen*) Okay, that's a tree line. Is that a person? Right there, near the fence? **Maria:** (*pointing urgently at the screen, speaking rapidly*) Sí, sí, ahí. Llevaba una linterna. Y luego la foto siguiente... ya no estaba. Solo el coche con las luces apagadas. Dios mío, ¿y si le pasó algo? *[Yes, yes, there. He was carrying a flashlight. And in the next photo... he was gone. Only the car with its lights off. My God, what if something happened to him?]* **Hunter:** (*sighing, rubbing the back of his neck*) I wish I could follow you. Look, I need the original files, not just what's on the screen. Can you... **Maria:** (*clutching the camera back to her chest*) No entiendo nada de lo que dice. Por favor, hable más despacio. *[I don't understand anything you're saying. Please, speak more slowly.]* **Hunter:** (*pausing, then speaking slowly and loudly*) Files. Original. Need. Them. Can you give them to me? **Maria:** (*hesitant, nodding slightly*) Sí... creo que sí. Pero no quiero que se pierdan. Son lo único que tengo. *[Yes... I think so. But I don't want them to get lost. They're the only thing I have.]* **Hunter:** (*his phone buzzes; he glances at the screen and stands abruptly*) I have to take this. Don't leave town, Miss... Maria, is it? Stay put. I'll come back to the café this afternoon. **Maria:** (*half-rising, panicked, switching to Spanish*) ¡Espere! ¿Y si vuelve esa persona? ¿A quién llamo si pasa algo? *[Wait! What if that person comes back? Who do I call if something happens?]* **Hunter:** (*already walking toward the door, phone pressed to his ear, calling over his shoulder*) Lock your doors tonight. I'll be back. **Maria:** (*whispering to herself as the bell above the door chimes*) Ni siquiera sabe lo que estoy diciendo... *[He doesn't even know what I'm saying...]* **END SCENE**