He hummed quietly to himself as he brushed her long, black hair.
The song in the background was perfect. One of his favourites. ‘Living Doll’.
‘Just like you, sweetheart.’ He smiled.
Glassy blue eyes stared at him – loving eyes. She wants to be here, he’s sure of it.
He took her hand in his. Still warm. Turning it over, so it was palm-side up, he placed two fingertips gently in the groove on her forearm, down from the fold of the wrist, and then he felt it.
A faint pulse.
He bent over and kissed her gently on her forehead. Brushing her hair behind her ear, he whispered, ‘Can you hear me now, princess?’
No response.
‘Don’t be shy.’ He held back his frustration. ‘Squeeze my hand if you can hear me …’
Was that a twitch he felt?
The excitement mounted, and he hoped he hadn’t imagined it.
Her head lolled forward and he had to help her straighten up. He placed the brush on the side table and lifted up a picture. He held the snapshot beside the woman in front of him and looked over her shoulder into the mirror.
‘The likeness is uncanny, don’t you think?’ He waited for her response.
Then he saw it. Her eyelid. A slight twitch. And he smiled.
She would have to do for now. Practice makes perfect.
His first attempt had been a complete failure. She’d died immediately once the procedure had been performed, and so he’d had to start again. He wished he could have been there when they found her body.
He would have loved to have seen the look on the police’s faces when they realized.
He turned his attention back to the woman before him. ‘Now, Kate, hair up or down?’