Against the Clock

Episode 06.

A heavy rain began to fall as I walked back to the house, each drop seeming to echo the questions swirling in my mind. My thoughts were tangled, looping back to Luca. Could he be a killer too? The finger in the jar at his place—it wasn't exactly an accident. But if he knew about me, why hadn't he done anything? Was he simply biding his time? And then there was Alessandra. The memory of her terrified eyes as I held her fate in my hands haunted me. Had she deserved what I did to her, or had I misjudged her out of fear?

The uncertainty gnawed at me. Every answer seemed to pull a thousand more questions out from the shadows, and I couldn't afford to leave any loose ends. Not now, with Marco so close to the truth.

I opened the door to the house, feeling the familiar chill of my father's looming presence, even though he wasn't home tonight. Marco's obsession with this case would keep him at the station for hours. But that was exactly what I needed. His absence was an opportunity.

I made my way to his office, the darkened room smelling faintly of his cologne and the scent of coffee. He'd left his computer on, the screen casting a dim glow over the cluttered desk. His files were scattered everywhere, notes scrawled in his precise handwriting. Evidence, theories, clues—all of it documented, tracked, recorded.

My hands hovered over the keyboard, my heart pounding as I wondered what he might have uncovered. Had he found anything that linked back to me? A single fingerprint, a missed camera feed, some small slip-up in my carefully woven alibis? Or worse—had he been keeping tabs on Luca?

I started scrolling through his files, combing through each folder with meticulous care. Each click felt like peeling back a layer of my father's mind, exposing his process, his suspicions, his targets. My fingers lingered over one particular file—Dock Body. It had only been a few hours since the body was discovered, and Marco already had a report started. I clicked it open.

I scanned through his notes. The severed finger had caught his attention immediately. Message to someone, he'd typed in the notes. Personal. He was convinced that the missing finger was a clue, a way for the killer to communicate something. But to whom?

I felt a surge of satisfaction. Marco might have been closing in, but this case with the dock body was a perfect distraction. I could nudge his suspicions in a new direction, subtly guiding his focus away from me.

And if he was onto Luca, even better. Perhaps I could plant a seed or two in Marco's mind, push him to see Luca as the threat. But was that wise? If Luca found out, he might turn against me, force my hand, or even expose me. Yet there was something thrilling in the idea of framing him. It was risky, of course, but it would keep Marco off my scent and buy me precious time to settle my next target.

Eliana.

I'd been meaning to deal with her, but the dock murder had forced me to push her further down my list. Eliana was... tricky. She was unpredictable, and I knew she wouldn't be as easy to silence as Alessandra had been. The timing had to be perfect, the plan flawless. But I could already feel Marco's footsteps inching closer, and I needed to make sure that when I finally went after Eliana, there wouldn't be anyone left to suspect me.

A floorboard creaked outside the door, and I froze. Heart pounding, I slowly turned off the monitor and slipped back into the shadows, every nerve alert. I heard the creak again, followed by the quiet hum of the refrigerator. Marco hadn't come home—had he? I strained to listen, but the silence settled, thick and unbroken.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I nearly jumped. I pulled it out and saw a message from Luca: Late night? Thought I'd check on you. I stared at the message, feeling an unsettling blend of unease and intrigue. What exactly did Luca want? And why was he keeping tabs on me now?

I typed back, trying to sound casual. Could say the same for you. Busy with... your side projects?

His reply was immediate. Always. Dinner again soon?

I could practically see his smile in the words, but there was an edge to it that hadn't been there before. I clenched my jaw, tucking my phone away. If I wasn't careful, Luca could become as dangerous to me as Marco. And if he knew I'd been in his house tonight, he'd be watching my every move.

I left Marco's office, making sure to leave no trace, every sense tingling as I closed the door behind me. I couldn't afford to get sloppy now, not when the stakes were climbing higher by the day. As I turned off the light, I made a silent promise to myself: if this game was going to get messy, I'd be the one to come out on top.