The Butcher by Jennifer Hillier

swallowed it. “Just making sure the redhead hasn’t poisoned you and you’re not on your living room floor, writhing in pain.”
    Despite the intensity of the last few minutes, Sam couldn’t help but chuckle. “With an imagination like that, you should be the writer. No, we’re good here. Just catching up. Lots to talk about. I’ll call you later, okay?”
    â€œWant me to come by later?”
    â€œSure. I’ll call you.”
    They disconnected. Bonnie smiled at her. “Sweet of him to call. Are you sure you’re dating the right guy? Jason sure seems sweet on you.”
    Sam felt her face grow hot. “Now you sound like Matt. Jase and I are just really good friends, I swear. So, about the Butcher—”
    â€œWhat does Jason do now?”
    Sam gritted her teeth, stifling a sigh. Obviously Bonnie wasn’t going to tell her the Butcher’s name until she was good and ready. She forced a smile. “Abunch of different things. He owns some real estate, and has a few endorsement deals. He guest commentates on ESPN once in a while.”
    â€œAnd it’s Matt who has the restaurant?”
    â€œYes, he’s a chef. He opened up his restaurant about two years ago, after he’d had a lot of success with his food trucks.” Despite her anxiety, Sam felt herself puff with pride. “He’s also about to star in his own reality show on the Fresh Network.”
    â€œWow!” Bonnie was suitably impressed. “I should check out his restaurant while I’m in town. What’s it called?”
    â€œAdobo,” Sam said, spelling it for her. “I’d be happy to take you there for dinner before you go home. And Matt’s last name is Shank, if you want to look him up. He’s kind of a local celebrity. Now, what was it we were talking about before—”
    â€œI’m sorry, what?” Bonnie froze. “His last name is Shank?”
    â€œYes. You’ve heard of him?”
    â€œI . . .” Bonnie looked pale. She set her wineglass down on the side table with a shaking hand. “Actually, the last name sounds very familiar. What does his family do?”
    â€œHe was raised by his grandparents, actually,” Sam said, not sure why Bonnie seemed so freaked out all of a sudden. Then she slapped her forehead. “Jesus, I can’t believe I didn’t mention this to you earlier. Matt’s grandfather is the former chief of police of Seattle, Edward Shank. The one who brought down the Butcher. Obviously you’ve heard of him. Duh . Everybody knows who the Chief is.”
    â€œOh, I’ve heard of him.” Bonnie’s voice was tight. “I definitely know who he is.”
    â€œHe’d probably love to meet you. Obviously he’s long retired, but he still has a fascination with true crime.”
    â€œBet he does.” The older woman shifted uneasily on the sofa. “A man like that, probably can’t get it out of his system.”
    â€œI can’t believe I didn’t tell you that right off the bat.” Sam shook her head. “It’s just that we got caught up talking about my mom, and somehow it slipped my mind. So you see, I do have connections. If I can prove Wedge wasn’t the real Butcher, I know Edward will pull strings to reopen the investigation. He’s not chief of police anymore, but he still commands a lot of respect around here. The mayor and current chief of police both used to work for him.”
    Bonnie smiled, but it didn’t touch her eyes, and every inch of her body seemed tense. “It’s okay, honey. I don’t blame you for not thinking of it. When we met on the forum, we were both trying to stay anonymous, and you telling me that your boyfriend’s grandfather is the former chief of police might have given away your identity. And obviously, once you found out my relationship to your mom, it wasn’t exactly the first