Free The Birthday Girl by Stephen Leather Page B

back at all; she was still spending as if there were no tomorrow. Even so, there was plenty of money in the bank accounts, and the house was almost paid for. It was only the company that was in trouble. That, at least, was something.
    Mersiha switched off the computer and the monitor and crept back upstairs to her bedroom. She lay in the dark, staring at the ceiling with unseeing eyes, trying to work out what she could do to help.
    # #
    Mersiha was in the kitchen when the telephone rang. 'I'll get it!' she yelled, and picked up the receiver. It was Dr Brown. 'Oh, hiya, Dr Brown. What's up?' she said, opening the refrigerator and pulling out a carton of orange juice with her free hand.
    'Hello, Mersiha? No school today?'
    'Study period,' she said. 'The school doesn't mind if we do it at home. It's an honour system.'
    'Well, make sure you study hard. Is your mother there?'
    'Sure,' Mersiha said. She pressed the 'hold' button and put the receiver back on the wall. She filled a glass with orange juice and put the carton back in the refrigerator before walking through to the hall. 'Katherine! It's Dr Brown,' she called upstairs. {Catherine was in the bedroom, reorganising one of her many dress-filled closets.
    'Okay, honey, I'll take it up here.'
    Mersiha took a sip of orange juice and went back into the kitchen. Buffy scratched at the back door and Mersiha opened it for her. The dog sat there, her tongue lolling out of the side of her mouth, a chewed frisbee at her feet.
    Mersiha bent down to pick up the plastic disc, and as she did she heard Katherine's voice over the phone's intercom. 'Hello?' Katherine said. Mersiha let the frisbee fall to the ground and went over to the phone to switch off the intercom.
    'Katherine? It's me.'
    'Hello, Art.'
    'Can we talk?'
    Mersiha froze, her finger just inches away from the button. Behind her, Buffy whined. Mersiha felt her stomach grow cold. They were going to talk about her, she was sure of it. She closed her eyes, fearing the embarrassment to come.
    'I think so. Tony's still at the office.'
    'Good. Katherine, I have to see you.'
    'Now?'
    Mersiha tensed. Whatever Dr Brown was concerned about, it must be serious.
    'Can you get away?'
    'Tony'll be here in an hour.'
    'Please.'
    'Tomorrow. What about tomorrow?'
    'It's important. I need to see you now.' Mersiha opened her eyes. She'd never heard the psychiatrist talk this way before. He sounded like a small boy, pleading for attention. Her stomach grew colder and she clasped her arms around her chest as if trying to warm herself.
    'Okay. I'll try.'
    Mersiha heard the line go dead. She stared at the telephone. Buffy whined and pushed the frisbee with her nose. Mersiha wondered what Dr Brown was going to say to Katherine, and she had a sudden feeling of dread. Whatever it was, it couldn't have been good news. Bad news, she knew, always travelled fast. The telephone speaker began to make a buzzing sound. Mersiha switched it off. She heard {Catherine's high heels on the stairs and she rushed out of the back door.
    Freeman turned his Chevrolet Lumina into the driveway and sounded his horn as he saw Mersiha at the far end of the garden. She waved half-heartedly and carried on playing with the dog. Freeman frowned. Usually Mersiha came running up to greet him and more often than not she'd carry his briefcase for him. He parked the car in front of the house and walked over to where she was sitting under a large willow. 'Hi, pumpkin, what's up?'
    Mersiha shrugged. 'Nothing much.'
    Buffy wandered over to Freeman and put her head up, asking to be stroked. Freeman patted her on the head, his eyes on Mersiha. 'Trouble at school?' he asked.
    Mersiha shook her head. 'No, school's fine.' She kept her eyes averted as if unwilling to look him in the face. Freeman squatted down so that his head was almost level with hers.
    'Anything I can do?' he asked. She looked up and Freeman could see tears in her eyes. 'What is it?' he said. He was suddenly seized with a