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Ms Natalie Zell sat across frole of saves that o past her shoulders but also gave the iood illusion, and probably an expensive one, but froner dress to the nearly perfect skin under its even lance, youh rich clients to know the taste of so that Natalie Zell was so and didn&039;t see any reason for that to change She crooked her pale lips and they caught the light, shining, very sparkly in a subdued sort of way Old audy; they leave that for the nouveau riche

"I want you to raise

I searched her face for signs of grief, but her grayish-green eyes ide and un but a faint humor and a force of personality quietly controlled I , or too directly, because she lowered her lashes so that I lost eye contact

"Why do you want Mr Zell raised from the dead?" I asked

"Does it really es for your services?"

I nodded "It s under the pale dress I think she actually flashedpersonal "My therapist thinks that a last good-bye would help me find closure"

That was one of the standard reasons that I raised the dead "I&039;ll need the name of your therapist"

Her eyes lost that ht a flash of that personality that I could feel behind all the pale control I didn&039;t believe her about the therapist

"Why do you need his name?" she asked, as she leaned back in the client chair, all elegant nonchalance

"It&039;s standard to check" I smiled, and I could feel that it didn&039;t quite make it to my eyes I could have made the effort, but I didn&039;t I didn&039;t want her coave n a waiver that he really thinks it&039;s a good idea for you to see your husband raised as a zombie We&039;ve had a few clients who didn&039;t react well to it"

"I understand that people could be traumatized by a normal animated zombie, all rotted and awful" She made a face, then leaned a little toward me "But you raise zombies that look like real people My therapist says that Chase will look like he&039;s alive, that he&039;ll even believe he&039;s alive at first If that&039;s true then hoill it be trau that if I called the therapist he&039;d back her story Maybe it was her therapist&039;s confidence, but sorief even through a brave face Either she was a sociopath or she didn&039;t give a damn about Chase Zell, her late husband

"So, I raise your late husband as a zoood-bye, is that it?"

She sain "Exactly"

"I think you should ask one of the other animators at Animators Inc"

"But you&039;re the only one that everyone says can raise a zombie that thinks and looks and acts alive"

I shrugged "There are one or two others in this country who can do it"

She shook her head, the expensive haircut bobbing as she moved "No, I&039;ve checked You are the only one that everyone agrees can guarantee that a zombie will be coht "What do you want your late husband to be able to do one last time, Ms Zell?"

"I want him to be alive one more time"

"Sex with a zombie, no matter how lifelike, is still considered a crially"

She actually blushed under the nice ain, and especially not as a zo"

"Glad we agree on that"

She recovered, though I had shocked her; nice to know I could "Then you will raise Chase from the dead for me?"

"Maybe"

"Why won&039;t you just do this? If it&039;s the money, I&039;ll double your fee"

I raised an eyebrow "That&039;s a lot of money"

"I have a lot offor a few more minutes"

I couldn&039;t tell you what it was that went through her eyes just then, or why I didn&039;t like it I&039;d spent too much time around bad people not to look for it in most faces, and I had my share of clients whose lies had created sohts I&039;d even had one client who had me raise a husband that she had killed, and he had done what all murdered zombies do-killed his murderer Until he throttled the life out of her I couldn&039;t cos like that had made me suspicious of the stories that the nice people across my desk told me

"What will you do with him for those minutes, Ms Zell?" I asked

She crossed her arms over her thin chest and scowled atto be pretty anyreen, and it was a steely gray like a polished gun barrel "You knoho the fuck talked to you?"

I shrugged and gave a little s her pick a naardener, wasn&039;t it? I should have tried to sharpen the axe ave her an encouraging look It was a what people would tell me if I just kept quiet and seemed to know ular fee, plus a million dollars tax-free so that no one knows but you and me"

I raised both eyebrows at that "That is a lot of money"

"It&039;s not about the ht my face not to look surprised I needed her to believe I already knew e on the true dead, Ms Zell They&039;re dead It doesn&039;t get ey than that"

She leaned forward again, hands out, alain for ht?"

I nodded

"You can do that without a huht?"

"Most aniave ood?"

"That wasn&039;t arrogance, Ms Zell, just the truth"

She looked strangely satisfied "Then raise him for ht?"

"Yes," I said

"Fear? Can a zombie feel fear?"

"One that thinks it&039;s alive and looks alive will be afraid Most of theraveyard Some of them freak when they see their own tombstone It&039;s actually best if you don&039;t let thein to lose focus on your questions or your vengeance"

"But he&039;ll see me, know ht?"

I nodded "Right"

"That&039;s perfect So, you&039;ll do it?"