Run: 2026-10-08-01M4DYS9WB4YF26P7G5TBW41NM

**VOICE SHEET: Alborn, MN** *Corner café, late morning, two days after the apple festival's lantern walk. Isabella speaks only Italian and Hunter speaks only English. Isabella's lines include English translations in brackets.* **Hunter:** "(approaching her table, notebook in hand) Morning, ma'am. Detective Hunter. I'm looking into what happened at the lantern walk Saturday night. You were there, with the camera?" **Isabella:** "(looking up from her screen, startled, then guarded) Sì... c'ero. Avevo la macchina fotografica con me, come sempre. [Yes... I was there. I had my camera with me, like always.]" **Hunter:** "(frowning, glancing from her face to the camera) Okay, I'm guessing that was a yes. The rest of it? Not a word. You speak English?" **Isabella:** "(shaking her head, then rushing on, miming a flame going out) Non parlo inglese... Ho visto una lanterna spegnersi tra i meli, vicino al vecchio fienile, e poi... poi non c'era più nessuno. [I don't speak English... I saw a lantern go out among the apple trees, near the old barn, and then... then there was no one left.]" **Hunter:** "(holding up a hand, frowning, then leaning in) Hang on. Slow down. That word sounds like 'lantern.' You saw a lantern go out?" **Isabella:** "(nodding quickly, calmer but still trembling) Sì. Lanterna. [Yes. Lantern.]" **Hunter:** "(miming a lantern held high, then waiting) Okay. Lantern. Who was carrying it? Did you see who?" **Isabella:** "(shaking her head, helpless) Non lo so. Non lo so, davvero. [I don't know. I really don't know.]" **Hunter:** "(sighing, rubbing the back of his neck) Yeah. I got that part." **Isabella:** "(turning the camera around, holding out the screen with trembling hands) Guardi. Guardi le foto. Le ho scattate tutte quella sera. [Look. Look at the photos. I took all of them that evening.]" **Hunter:** "(leaning in, scanning the screen) Photos. Okay. Let's see." **Isabella:** "(quietly, with a faint, sad smile) La luce era perfetta quella sera. [The light was perfect that evening.]" **Hunter:** "(softening, genuinely impressed) These are really good. That light's something else." **Isabella:** "(staring at the screen, barely above a whisper) Sì... Poi è sparito tutto. [Yes... Then everything vanished.]" **Hunter:** "(pulling up a photo on his phone and turning the screen toward her) This is Ellen Nygaard. Sixty-two. Red wool coat. She was on the lantern walk Saturday night, and nobody's seen her since." **Isabella:** "(pointing at his phone, then at her own screen, voice cracking) Lei... è lei. La signora con il cappotto rosso. [It's her... it's her. The lady in the red coat.]" **Hunter:** "(nodding slowly, muttering to himself) Red coat. Third one in five weeks." **Isabella:** "(swallowing hard, swiping to the next photo) Questa l'ho scattata un secondo prima che la lanterna si spegnesse. E lui era lì. [I took this one a second before the lantern went out. And he was there.]" **Hunter:** "(leaning close, squinting at the screen) Who's that? Behind her, in the trees?" **Isabella:** "(arms wrapped around herself, barely audible) Non lo so chi sia. Ma mi stava guardando. Mi guardava dritto nell'obiettivo. [I don't know who he is. But he was looking at me. He was looking straight into the lens.]" **Hunter:** "(pointing first at his own eyes, then at the figure on the screen) He was looking at you. Right?" **Isabella:** "(nodding, tears spilling over) Sì. Sì. [Yes. Yes.]" **Hunter:** "(all business again, grabbing a napkin and pen) I need copies of these. Send them to this number. Today." **Isabella:** "(clutching the camera to her chest) No. Sono mie. [No. They're mine.]" **Hunter:** "(hands up, palms out) Hey, I'm not taking your camera. Just copies." **Isabella:** "(long pause, studying his face) Va bene. Ma le mando solo a lei. [Okay. But I'll send them only to you.]" **Hunter:** "(nodding, relieved) Good. Thank you." **Isabella:** "(softer, glancing at the apple festival banners snapping in the wind outside) Sono qui da tre settimane. Pensavo che Alborn fosse un posto tranquillo. [I've been here three weeks. I thought Alborn was a quiet place.]" **Hunter:** "(following her gaze to the banners) Tranquil? Yeah. It was." **Isabella:** "(noticing his jaw tighten as his phone buzzes) Qualcosa non va? [Is something wrong?]" **Hunter:** "(answering, all business) Hunter. Say that again. Where, exactly? How long ago? Okay. Nobody goes past the tape. Nobody touches anything. I'm on my way." **Isabella:** "(half-rising from her chair) Aspetti! Dove va? [Wait! Where are you going?]" **Hunter:** "(already on his feet, grabbing his coat) Sorry. I have to go. Send those photos today, and stay in town. Keep your phone on." **Isabella:** "(voice rising, desperate) E io? Cosa devo fare? [And me? What am I supposed to do?]" **Hunter:** "(one hand on the door frame, half-turning back) Keep that camera charged." **Isabella:** "(alone now, whispering to her camera) Dove sei, Ellen? [Where are you, Ellen?]"