Chapter Ten
Aimee took to the back alleys to the store on a morning some days after her night in the tavern. She was in a hurry, and preoccupied with getting to work before Emma Whittier could discover she was late. Emma hated tardiness; the only thing she was particularly fussy about when it came to her employees.
Just as Aimee rounded an alley corner, a last little jog about two blocks from the store, her instincts caused her to stop suddenly. Someone was behind her. She started walking again, just a little afraid to look around to see who was there. What happened next, happened too fast for her to appraise the situation. Her nose caught the scent of a sickening sweet odor. And then a strong arm came around her from behind her and clamped a rag over her nose and mouth. Instantly, she
