“What’s that?” Darcy asked.
“Are you ready, Darcy?” Tommy asked. “Are you ready to do this for God?”
“Yes, sir!”
Tommy released Darcy’s hand. “Then let her do it.”
Darcy turned toward Esmeralda. “You’re an angel, too, ma’am? Wow, two angels!”
“Quiet,” Esmeralda said. She took Darcy’s hand in her own, and then closed her eyes.
Darcy closed her eyes and bowed her head, as if praying. Tommy could feel something shifting in the room, like a huge build-up of static electricity thickening the air, waiting to discharge.
Darcy shuddered. Esmeralda hissed and jerked her hand away from Darcy.
Darcy’s eyes opened, and she scowled at Tommy.
“Darcy Metcalf?” Darcy’s mouth asked. “Are you serious?”
“Ashleigh?” Tommy asked.
“Oh, God, look at this body.” Ashleigh looked down at herself, then around at the room. “Ugh. She smells so bad. But this is actually a good place to get to work against Jenny.”
“Jenny?” Tommy asked. “The girl who killed you?”
“Who the fuck else would I be talking about?” Ashleigh tried to jump to her feet, but Darcy’s body was too heavy for the move. She landed clumsily and took a few steps to regain her balance, and then she farted long and loud. “And what the hell has Darcy been eating? Smells like Hamburger Helper.”
“I brought you here to answer some questions,” Tommy said. “Last time, you said something about past lives—”
“Yeah, whatever, we’ll get to it,” Ashleigh said. She turned to Esmeralda, who looked frightened. Ashleigh’s voice turned sweet. “Oh, thank you so much. I’m sure Tommy’s explained the whole situation to you, right?”
“Not really,” Esmeralda said.
“That figures.” Ashleigh took one of Esmeralda’s hands, the one that wasn’t holding the bone fragment. For the first time in two days, Esmeralda visibly relaxed. There was even the ghost of a smile on her lips. “You see, there’s a girl in town. Jenny. And she’s a murderer. She has an evil power in her touch.”
“Like us?” Esmeralda asked.
“Just like us.” Ashleigh brushed stray hairs back from Esmeralda’s face and cupped her chin. “She killed hundreds of people, and she’s going to get away with it. She’ll probably kill thousands more, if we don’t stop her.”
“Oh,” Esmeralda said. “I didn’t realize it was like that.”
“Yeah,” Ashleigh said. “So you’re being a big help. And look, I’ve seen you do this before, in past lives. What you need to do is keep holding onto that little piece of bone. Never let it go.”
“Never?” Esmeralda looked at Ashleigh’s finger bone in the palm of her hand.
“You can hang it on a necklace, under your shirt,” Ashleigh said. “That helps me to stay connected to this world. You’ll keep helping us, won’t you?”
“I don’t know…I should—”
Ashleigh squeezed her hand hard, and pressed her palm and fingers against Esmeralda’s face, pushing Esmeralda’s head against the wall.
“Please keep helping us!” Ashleigh’s eyes were big and tearful.
“Of course! Yes!” Esmeralda said. “I don’t want to hurt your feelings.”
“Good.” Ashleigh released her. “Now, first thing, let’s get out of this dump. We’re going to my house.”
Ashleigh led the way to Darcy’s front door.
“Whoa, whoa.” Darcy’s dad wheeled into the room. “Where do you think you’re off to?”
“I have to help weed the flower beds at church,” Ashleigh said. “Nobody else is doing it, and we can’t let it look all grody.”
“Who’s gonna give me my insulin?” Darcy’s dad demanded.
“Jeepers, I don’t know,” Ashleigh said. “Do it yourself.” She opened the door, and Tommy and Esmeralda followed her out.
“What? What did you say to me?” Darcy’d dad wheeled after them, but Ashleigh slammed the door before he reached it.
They walked out to the driveway.
“Wow, this stupid baby is heavy.” Ashleigh slapped her stomach. She looked at Tommy’s bike. “Okay, genius,” she said. “Three of us, one motorcycle. What were you thinking?”
“I like the bike,” Tommy said.
Ashleigh rolled her eyes. “I’ll go get the keys to Darcy’s mom’s car.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
At school, Jenny and Seth sat again under the old oak by the parking lot. Seth ate a square of school pizza.