Run: 2026-10-08-01M4E0HYAJ864VJT6DK83R5E7R

**VOICE SHEET: "The Quiet Café" (Scene 3)** *Setting: A small corner café in Alborn, MN. Late afternoon. MARIA sits by the window, turning her camera over in her hands. HUNTER enters, scanning the room, and approaches her table.* --- **Hunter:** Excuse me. Are you Maria Lozano? I'm Detective Hunter, with the Alborn police. Mind if I sit down? **Maria:** *(in Spanish, shaken)* ¿Perdón? No entiendo... Lo siento. *(Pardon? I don't understand... I'm sorry.)* **Hunter:** Okay. You're the study abroad student staying at the inn on Maple Street, right? The owner said you were up near the orchards the morning Tom Keller went missing. **Maria:** *(in Spanish, voice trembling)* Estuve en el huerto al amanecer. Tomé fotos, como siempre. Pero había alguien allí... un hombre con una linterna, y no se movía. *(I was in the orchard at dawn. I took photos, like always. But there was someone there... a man with a flashlight, and he wasn't moving.)* **Hunter:** *(frowning)* Sorry, I'm not following. Did you see Keller? **Maria:** *(in Spanish, holding the camera tighter)* Y después, cuando miré la pantalla... la foto ya no mostraba al hombre. Solo los árboles. Nadie. *(And then, when I looked at the screen... the photo no longer showed the man. Only the trees. No one.)* **Hunter:** *(pulling out a notebook, speaking slowly and loudly)* Okay. Let's try this. Did. You. See. Anyone. Near. The. Orchard? **Maria:** *(in Spanish, her eyes filling)* Sí... pero no sé quién era. Tengo miedo. *(Yes... but I don't know who he was. I'm scared.)* **Hunter:** *(exhaling, rubbing his jaw)* I wish I spoke whatever that was. Look, I'm not going to pretend I understood a word. But you're shaking, and you said "miedo." I know that one. You're safe here, all right? Nobody's getting near you. **Maria:** *(in Spanish, softer)* Gracias. Necesito que alguien me crea. *(Thank you. I need someone to believe me.)* **Hunter:** *(nodding, slowly)* I believe you're upset. That's a start. Can you show me the photo? Point to the spot where you saw him. **Maria:** *(in Spanish, turning the camera toward him)* Aquí. Entre los manzanos, cerca del viejo granero. *(Here. Among the apple trees, near the old barn.)* **Hunter:** *(leaning in to look at the screen)* Huh. The barn's been abandoned since the Keller property sold. *(His phone buzzes. He glances at it and stiffens.)* Hold on. *(He answers.)* Hunter. ...Yeah. ...Where? ...Give me twenty minutes. *(He hangs up and turns back to Maria.)* **Hunter:** I have to go. Something's come up. Stay here, order whatever you want, and don't go back to the orchard alone. *(He pauses, then tears a page from his notebook and writes on it.)* This is my number. If you remember anything else, or if that man shows up again, you call me. Understand? **Maria:** *(in Spanish, taking the paper)* Sí. Gracias, detective. *(Yes. Thank you, detective.)* **Hunter:** *(already heading for the door, muttering)* Yeah. Thanks. *(He stops, turns back, and points at the camera.)* And keep that thing close. Might be the only witness we've got. *(He exits. MARIA looks down at the camera, then slowly scrolls back through the photos.)* **[END SCENE]**