The woman, a few steps from girlhood, was attractive in a cute, but no-nonsense way. She was dressed for spring in only a light sweater and glared at Dean as if he were a street mugger before surrendering her torn and ancient luggage.
"Welcome to Bird Song," he said as they climbed the steps.
"You don't look like an ice climber," she called over her shoulder as Fred O'Connor met them at the door.
"I own the place," Dean said, extending his hand. She smiled, for the first time. Dean introduced himself and his stepfather.
"I'm Franny Mulligan," she said, looking around, and then added sharply, "where is that bastard Donald Ryland?"
So this was Ryland's "Fran", his Grand Junction fiancée. No wonder the young man feared her! In spite of her pussycat size, she looked as if she could scratch your eyes out as quick as a tiger. Dean sighed. More trouble in the making, certainly for Mr. Ryland. He wondered how much Miss Mulligan knew about the aggressive Mrs. Shipton.
"Out ice climbing," he answered. Then he added, "Is he expecting you?"
"Hell no! He would have scrammed in a minute, the coward. Is the bitch with him?"
So much for her not knowing. "No. Mrs. Shipton is in her room. Donnie is with his...with Donald."
"I know he's the boy's father. You don't have to pussy-foot. Donald brought Donnie up to meet me, before the cops dragged him back down here." Then she added, "What kind of a mother lets her son do something stupid like climbing icicles at the age of twelve? The poor kid!"
"Donnie just watches the climbers," Fred answered.
"The jerk. He'd better be damn careful with Donnie! He can kill himself if he's fool enough to want to but the boy has no business up there."
"Ryland seems to be very cautious," Dean offered.
Franny ignored his comment. "Do you know, she had the nerve to call me! The conniving bitch!" Then added, in a mocking voice, "'We were intimate, and all our old love came flowing back!' The bitch! She said the wedding is off and Donald is staying with her! Fat damned chance! And the whore hung up before I could tell her what I thought of her and her ancestors back to Mrs. Adam!"
"Edith telephoned you?" Fred asked, stepping back from the petite woman's fury.
"Hell, yes! Can you believe it? I suppose she thought I'd roll over and cry in my pillow. Wrong guess! I'd kill the pair of them, if I hadn't already bought my wedding gown."
"Look," Dean said. "I'm sorry about all this but we don't need any more trouble at Bird Song. The police are already investigating Jerome Shipton's accident and-"