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Chapter 143: Jo

"Darby...," I said once my fingers found the belt.

Mrs. Baxton's gaze snapped to mine. I froze, her hollowed face just inches from mine. So there was a part of her still in there if she recognized Darby's name. And she had come back to her familiar home.

"Huh?" Darby said from the backseat.

Mrs. Baxton's whispers stirred into a frenzy around our heads, but it didn't come from her pinched mouth that sagged open in a silent scream. It came from inside her, as if her soul was communicating from a great distance. But it was still there. With her. With us. Which might explain the notes Mrs. Baxton left for Leigh. Her soul was still here, somewhere, trying to communicate with her daughter.

I took in a shallow breath, inhaling some of Mrs. Baxton's decayed corpse, and tried to fit the seatbelt into the lock with trembling hands.

"Keep your eyes closed, okay?" I told Darby.

"They are."