Twelve
It was well into a new day when Dani helped a seriously impaired Kelly to one of the twin beds in a bedroom of her mother-in-law’s guest house. Niles, the butler, who had arranged for them to use the guest house while Kelly’s ex-mother-in-law was away, was an interesting case study in contrasts. He looked like The Addams Family’s Lurch, talked like an Oxford don, and was a former basketball player for the Denver Nuggets. Dani had to agree with Kelly’s suspicion that Niles’ duties as a butler were a cover for a more intimate involvement in Ana Terril’s life.
Whatever else Niles might be, he was a good stand-in host. He made them more than comfortable in the homey guest house, then directed them to let him know if there was anything else he could do for them. His air of competence a
