He’s only scheduled at night because he hunts during the day.

He’s a great chef, honestly. He brings in hundreds of customers every single night. He’s our star. His steak is always the main dish. He wins hearts with his skills.

He doesn’t know that I know, because I keep quiet. One day I’ll have the courage to confront him but for now I think I’m good not being under the knife. I watch him from across the kitchen as he wipes off the raw blood from the meat on a napkin. I wonder if I’m the only one who has noticed how different this new meat is. My manager barges in, “Noelle, have you seen Katie? She’s 15 minutes late.” He looks at me hopelessly. I look back at the Night Chef and watch him slice the steak into bits. “She won’t be coming.”