Far off in the distance, Dean could again hear the ringing of Gladys Turnbull's alarm but he paid it no attention. He hoped things were more peaceful out in the galaxy that here at Bird Song.
"How did Shipton react to his own son's death?" Dean asked.
Once more, Ryland shrugged. "Stoic, I guess. He's one of these type A personality guys who's always wound up tighter than a spring-wears whatever face suits the crowd."
Dean thought a moment and then said, "Shipton is on his way out here." He felt Ryland ought to at least be warned. "He traced Edith's charge slip. He called the local sheriff in Ouray and said he plans to come out and haul his 'mentally stressed wife' back East with him. He talked about having her committed."
"That figures. Keep her hospitalized till she delivers! God!" Ryland said, putting his hand to his head. "I'll bet he could do it too, as screwed up as Edith is right now."
"Now that Edith has left her husband, where does that put you?" Dean asked.
"I wish I knew!" He began to pace the room. "I spoke with her on the phone around Christmas and mentioned I was coming to Ouray for some ice climbing. She called me a couple of days ago and told me she'd taken off and flown out to Colorado with the boy. I wanted to see Donnie. It's been over a year since I've had a peek at him. But when I met her, the boy wasn't even with her and she laid this soap opera story on me about leaving Shipton and being pregnant. Don't get me wrong, I know she's hurting, but my main concern is my boy. That's why I came over to Bird Song. But now, all she wants to do is- have sex with me, like we're still kids and she can turn the clock back to hot nights and summer camp." He finger-combed his hair. "God, what a mess!"
"It sounds to me like she needs some serious professional help." Dean said.
"But what can I do? Maybe I sound like a jerk, but it's been ten years since we were an item and I've got a life now. I don't want to be cruel or uncaring and I know she's going through hell, but I can't just jump her bones and pretend it's yesterday. Maybe some guys would just chalk it up to a nice piece of tail, but that's not me. Now she's up there bawling her eyes out, thinking I'm some kind of bastard." There was nothing helpful Dean could offer. After a few moments of mutual silence, both men rose and returned to their rooms.