Run: 2026-10-13-01M4TBJ13XH3VPZM38P9TRFN4N

**SCENE: The Cider Press Café — Alborn, MN — Late Morning** **Isabella:** *(quietly, to herself, scrolling through her camera)* "No... no, questo non può essere vero..." *(No... no, this can't be true...)* **Hunter:** "Excuse me, ma'am. Detective Hunter, Alborn Police. Mind if I ask you a few questions? Folks say you were taking pictures at the festival Saturday." **Isabella:** *(startled)* "Oh! Mi scusi... non parlo inglese. Non capisco." *(Excuse me... I don't speak English. I don't understand.)* **Hunter:** "Right. Okay. You don't... speak English." **Isabella:** "No. Solo italiano. Mi dispiace tanto." *(Only Italian. I'm so sorry.)* **Hunter:** *(sigh)* "Great. Just great. Alright — the festival. Saturday night. Did you see anything?" **Isabella:** *(troubled, voice shaking)* "Il festival... sì, c'ero. Stavo fotografando il tramonto vicino al frutteto, e poi... ho visto un uomo. Un furgone scuro. E ho sentito un grido." *(The festival... yes, I was there. I was photographing the sunset near the orchard, and then... I saw a man. A dark van. And I heard a scream.)* **Hunter:** "Ma'am, I can't— okay. Slow down. Did — you — see — something?" **Isabella:** *(frustrated, pointing at her camera)* "Le foto! Ho fatto delle foto! Ma in una foto c'è qualcosa di terribile." *(The photos! I took photos! But in one photo there's something terrible.)* **Hunter:** "Camera. Yeah, I see it. You take pictures? That night?" **Isabella:** *(nodding vigorously)* "Sì, sì! Fotografie! Quella notte!" *(Yes, yes! Photographs! That night!)* **Hunter:** "Okay. Good. That's progress. Can I see them? The pictures?" **Isabella:** *(clutching the camera to her chest)* "No... no, ho paura. C'era un uomo, nella foto. Mi ha vista. Mi ha guardata!" *(No... no, I'm afraid. There was a man, in the photo. He saw me. He looked at me!)* **Hunter:** "Hey. Easy. You're shaking. Nobody's gonna hurt you, alright? I just need to know what you saw." **Isabella:** *(tearful)* "Non conosco nessuno in questa città. Adesso ho paura perfino di dormire." *(I don't know anyone in this town. Now I'm afraid even to sleep.)* **Hunter:** "I don't understand a word you're saying, but you sound like my sister after her car wreck. Same look. You're scared." **Isabella:** "Cosa? Non capisco. La prego... parli più lentamente." *(What? I don't understand. Please... speak more slowly.)* **Hunter:** *(slower, pulling out his notepad, showing a photo)* "Missing. Girl. Annie. Saturday. This — Annie. You see her?" **Isabella:** "Annie? La ragazza scomparsa? L'ho letto sul giornale... Oh mio Dio." *(Annie? The missing girl? I read it in the newspaper... Oh my God.)* **Isabella:** *(gasping, pointing at the photo, then at her camera)* "Sì! Lei! L'ho vista! È in una delle mie foto! Vicino al furgone!" *(Yes! Her! I saw her! She's in one of my photos! Near the van!)* **Hunter:** "You saw her? Where? *Where?*" **Isabella:** "Al frutteto! Dietro il frutteto, vicino alla vecchia strada sterrata!" *(At the orchard! Behind the orchard, near the old dirt road!)* **Hunter:** "Orchard? You saying the orchard?" **Isabella:** *(nodding, crying)* "Sì, sì! Il frutteto!" *(Yes, yes! The orchard!)* **Hunter:** "Okay. That's something. Ma'am, I need those photos. That camera could—" *(phone rings)* "Hunter. ...Yeah. ...What? Where? ...The old cider mill? Don't touch anything. I'm ten minutes out." **Isabella:** "Cosa succede? Cos'è successo?" *(What's happening? What happened?)* **Hunter:** *(standing, urgent)* "I have to go. I'm sorry. You — stay. Stay here. Do not leave town." **Isabella:** "Non capisco! La prego, non mi lasci sola! Ho paura!" *(I don't understand! Please, don't leave me alone! I'm afraid!)* **Hunter:** "I know. I know you're scared. I'll find somebody who speaks Italian. There's gotta be somebody in this town who—" *(into phone)* "Yeah, I'm moving." *(to Isabella)* "Stay. Here. Capisce? ...That's Italian, right? Capisce?" **Isabella:** *(almost laughing through her tears)* "Capisce. Sì. Capisco." *(Capisce. Yes. I understand.)* **Hunter:** "Good. Sit tight. I'll be back. And ma'am — keep that camera close." **Isabella:** *(to herself, staring down at the camera as he leaves)* "Mio Dio... che cosa ho fotografato?" *(My God... what did I photograph?)*