The Split-Seconds Arbor

The cold open

A rainy 2:00 AM inside the soundproofed testing vault of the Kingsley Horology Atelier, where hundreds of antique pendulum clocks tick in relentless, hypnotic unison. Slumped over his mahogany loupe bench under the harsh glare of an articulated task lamp lies Palmer Kingsley, a single .22 caliber gunshot wound through his embroidered vest. Beside his cooling fingers, an exquisite open-heart chronometer ticks steadily, its brass escapement wheel spattered with crimson.

The victim

Palmer Kingsley, 55, master horologist and antique chronometer conservator

The lineup

• Felix Alder
• Maya Linnea
• Garrick Boone
• Selene Park