Ward leaned forward and touched the back of her hand.
“I’m a believer, Darcy,” Ward said. “You can tell me anything, especially about Jenny Morton.”
“Oh, whoosh! Big relief,” Darcy said. “You never know, with so much atheism these days. So, anywho, I think Jenny and Seth were on the devil’s side, and then Ashleigh and us were on God’s side.”
“Why do you say the devil won, and then God won?”
“First, Jenny defeated Ashleigh, and then Ashleigh was dead. But later, God sent Ashleigh back with the angels, and whatever she did must have worked, because Jenny was pretty much gone after that. I only saw her like one more time. Nevaeh!”
Nevaeh had crawled back to the tree and plucked a bright red ornament, and she was currently attempting to eat it like an apple. She squalled when Darcy took it away from her.
“You say Jenny defeated Ashleigh. That was Easter?” he asked.
“Uh-huh.” Darcy picked up the crying Nevaeh again and held her.
“Explain the part about Ashleigh and the angels?”
“Oh, I can try. You see, these two angels came to me. One of them pretended to be Ashleigh's cousin at first, he even looked like her, same gray eyes. The other one was Mexican-looking, but I guess angels aren’t really from Mexico or America or anything. Anywho, this angel brought Ashleigh's soul back, and Ashleigh had to use my body for a while. To finally defeat Jenny, I guess. Like she couldn’t finish her mission in life, so I had to help her.”
Ward was just staring at her, his eyebrows raised.
“Aren’t you taking notes or anything?” Darcy asked. “I thought cops took notes.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll remember everything you say. How was it that Ashleigh finally defeated Jenny?”
“I dunno. That big riot in Charleston must have been part of it. Because Ashleigh's spirit left me after that, and I woke up in a hotel room and didn’t remember too much.”
“I spoke with your parents in Fallen Oak, Darcy,” he said. “They told me you were friends with Jenny, at one point.”
“Nah, that must have been Ashleigh's soul working through me. Tricking her, maybe. I don’t really remember what all happened, because it was like I was asleep while Ashleigh was in me.”
Nevaeh wailed, snot pouring down from her nose.
“That’s a lovely baby you have there.” Ward stood and touched Darcy’s shoulder. This time, his touch was like ice water, flowing through her shoulder and up to her brain.
For a moment, Darcy relived her memories—the two angels sitting in her room, then Ashleigh’s soul filling her up, a quick flash of Ashleigh’s face...and then, weeks later, waking up in the hotel room, her purse missing. Finding out she’d checked in under her dad’s credit card, which he’d reported stolen. Having no ID and going to jail.
Then, months later, Jenny and Seth coming to the Taco Bell and giving Darcy the PayPal card from Ashleigh’s charity. A couple of days after that, Darcy heard both of them had died in the fire at Barrett House.
“That was another thing I wanted to ask about,” Ward said. “How did you come to administer the funds raised by Ashleigh Goodling? Why did she give you all that money?”
“So I could hand it out to everyone. I did it, too. An equal amount to every girl. That was another witchy thing about Jenny, all those girls getting pregnant.”
“But it was Jenny who gave you the money? That surprises me. I thought you said she was evil.”
“Even the devil is ruled by God, you know,” Darcy said. “Maybe she had to give it to me for some reason. I dunno. But I did what I felt like I was supposed to do.”
Ward nodded, backing away from her.
“That’s a very...unexpected story,” he said.
“It’s all true!”
“I know it is. That’s the strangest part of all.” Ward shook his head. “You’ve been both less and more informative than I expected.”
“Well, I’m sorry and you’re welcome, I guess!” Darcy smiled, and Nevaeh punched her in the mouth. The little girl shrieked and cried even louder.
“Sure. It would be best not to mention we were here, Mrs. Espinoza. Not to anyone. That could be construed as interfering in our investigation.”
“Oh, golly! I won’t tell anyone, pinky promise!”
“Right. Have a good evening, Mrs. Espinoza.” Ward opened her front door and stepped out to the hall.
“Merry Christmas, officers!” Darcy shouted at him and the two police officers outside, but nobody said “Merry Christmas” back. Darcy wondered whether the constable was really a believer or not.