Chapter 4

4: 4

Because of that video and my attendance record, they hauled me into the police station.

I rushed to explain that Irene and the others dying had nothing to do with me. It was all coincidence.

But they didn't buy a word of it. "Still lying! We've already verified it. All five victims' times of death line up exactly with when you clocked in!"

"And you've got bad blood with Irene and the rest. She framed you for stealing company R&D, got you blacklisted across the whole industry. You have a strong motive."

I honestly couldn't explain it. Why did the times I clocked in for work

match the times all five of them died, right down to the minute?

But I knew for certain, I had not killed anyone.

I stared, drained, at the criminal investigation captain across from me.

"Captain Larson, please, believe me. I didn't kill anyone!"

"Yes, I had a grudge with them before, but I wouldn't murder that many people over something so petty!"

"I didn't even know clocking in could kill people. So how would Irene have known?"

Captain Larson clearly wasn't buying my story.

"Don't try to change the subject. You had a grudge with several of the dead. It's no surprise Irene suspected you."

"She investigated you in secret, found that three of the victims' times of death matched your clock-in times. Suspecting you isn't unreasonable at all."

"Your company's time clock is linked to their phones. The moment it reads your fingerprint, it kills them, doesn't it?"

I was so furious I couldn't get a word out.

Just as I thought they were about to pin the murders on me, an officer walked in holding a report.

"Captain Larson, the analysis is back. It's just an ordinary time clock. And there's no hidden software installed on any of the victims' phones either."

Captain Larson's face changed at once.

In the end, with no hard evidence, they had no choice but to let me go.

Once I got home, I collapsed onto the bed like every ounce of strength had been drained out of me.

My head was full of it, the last two days, Irene and Dustin dying those horrible deaths.

Right then, in the silent, pitch-black room, a familiar sound started up.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

I shot upright, every hair on my body standing on end.

That sound...

Step by step I moved toward it, and pulled open the drawer.

A familiar time clock sat right there in my drawer.

My pupils shrank in an instant. "This... how is this here!"

Hands trembling, I picked up the time clock, and a wave of pure terror washed over me.

Before I could even make sense of it, the door slammed open from outside with a bang.

Captain Larson stormed in with a swarm of officers, and I was pinned down against the desk on the spot.

"Clara Henson, what did you do! Are you trying to kill every single employee at Yuhui Tech?"

He raised his phone and pulled up a photo,

my old coworkers all covered in blood, faces twisted in agony, sprawled across the floor.

Then Reginald came in, weak, propped up by an officer, staring at me in horror.

"Clara, why would you try to kill me too?"

I shook my head, panicking. "It wasn't me! I didn't clock in!"

But Captain Larson punched me, furious.

"The clock that kills people turns up in your home, and you're still lying!"

They moved to drag me away,

and the instinct to survive made me thrash with everything I had. My body slammed hard into the time clock on the desk.

Bang! The clock hit the floor, and a flash of red light shot out.

My mind roared, and all at once I understood everything.

I finally knew why every time I clocked in, someone died.

I wrenched myself free and screamed until my voice tore.

"Wait! I didn't kill them! I already know who the real killer is!"