The Escapement Gear

The cold open

Midnight in the historic Arcade District settles under a rhythmic, mechanical pulse inside the fourth-floor horology studio. Among hundreds of antique pendulum clocks and brass gear-cutting lathes, Augustine Baros sits slumped over his jeweler's bench under a harsh tungsten halo. A single .22 caliber gunshot to the chest has pierced his linen waistcoat, freezing his final movement against the ticking dark.

The victim

Augustine Baros, 62, master horologist and antique timepiece dealer

The lineup

• Thaddeus Holt
• Maya Linnea
• Bennett Oakes
• Farah Zadeh