Birthdays Can Be Deadly Read Online Free Page A

her breath catch in her throat. She hadn't expected to be the one to inform Frank of his friend's death. The very idea made her uncomfortable. She glanced over her shoulder to see if anyone else was nearby that she could pass the duty onto. However, no one was anywhere near Frank's villa.
    “What is this all about?” Frank demanded as he glowered at her.
    “I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this,” Samantha said hesitantly. “But your friend, James, passed away today at the party. I think it was a heart attack.”
    “Is this some kind of sick joke?” Frank asked, his voice raising with each word. “Are you crazy enough to make something like that up just to get my attention?”
    “I didn't make it up,” Samantha shot back with frustration. She caught herself, and reminded herself that Frank was just in shock. “Didn't you hear the sirens?” she demanded.
    “Well, I assumed they might be common around here,” Frank replied with disbelief. “Are you saying it was James?”
    “Yes,” Samantha nodded and then frowned when she saw the shock in his eyes. “I'm very sorry for your loss.”
    “I can't believe this,” Frank said and shook his head. “You never know when it will be your time, do you?” he asked wistfully.
    “No, we never do,” Samantha agreed and then reached out to lightly touch his shoulder. “I'm sorry, I thought you already knew. I just didn't want you to have to grieve all alone.”
    “That's very kind of you,” Frank said softly as he met her eyes. “Maybe you'd like to come in for a moment?” he suggested. “I think I need to sit down.”
    “Sure,” Samantha smiled with a touch of warmth. Now that Frank's demeanor towards her had shifted she could tell that he wasn't as tough as he portrayed himself to be. She helped him back into the villa and settled him down on the couch inside. She noticed it was still Baki's couch. She assumed Frank hadn't even had time to properly move himself in just yet. “Let me get you some water?” she suggested.
    “A beer,” Frank requested. “There are some in the fridge. Help yourself if you'd like one.”
    Samantha stepped into the tiny, familiar kitchen. She felt a pang of grief for her friend, Baki. She loved that he was able to be close to his daughter, but she missed him. She opened the fridge to find a six pack of beer. Beside it was a pack of lunch meat and some cheese. That was the extent of Frank's food.
    As she grabbed one of the beers out of the pack, she noticed that two more were missing. She wondered how much Frank drank each day. Reminding herself not to judge she turned to carry the bottle into Frank. As she did she nearly tripped on the trashcan that was sticking partially out of the cabinet. All of the villas were equipped with slide out trashcans in the kitchen to make the most of the small space. Samantha happened to know that Baki's often got stuck. It was clear that the problem hadn't been fixed before renting the villa to a new resident. She decided to fix it for Frank as he had enough to deal with. She gave the trashcan a hard tug and then slammed it back into the cabinet. Something in the trashcan clanged together. She assumed that it was the beer bottles that were missing from the six-pack. The trashcan didn't quite slide back into place. She tugged it out again and was about to slam it again, when Frank's voice interrupted her.
    “Stop that!” he commanded her and rushed over towards her.
    “Oh sorry, I am just fixing it for you,” Samantha explained. “This one always gets stuck.”
    “I don't need your help,” Frank growled. “I don't need your meddling either.”
    “Frank, I'm sorry,” Samantha said quickly as she tried to meet his eyes. “I know that you must be upset about James.”
    “I'm upset about having my privacy invaded,” he said and snatched the beer from her hand. “I just want to be left alone.”
    “If you say so,” Samantha said hesitantly. “Are you sure there's nothing I can do for