Samantha had never seen such a mess. She hoped Sherer proved to be a more efficient detective than he was a homemaker.
The man in question appeared at the living-room door.
“Sorry,” he said, “I was weeding through messages my housekeeper left.”
Like his home, Wil Sherer was a mix of styles. It was hard to guess his age: his eyes were marked with crow’s-feet, but his light brown hair had no gray in it. He wore it in a punkish cut, short and raggy around the front and sides and long down the back. There was a three-day growth of beard on his face, outlined by heavy cheekbones. The T-shirt and whitewashed jeans he wore would have given him a James Dean look, except for the Top-Siders he wore. He stared quizzically with cobalt eyes, waiting for an answer.
Samantha was incredulous, and could only say, “You have a housekeeper?”
Wil’s laugh was deep and hearty.
“Actually, a kid who came in to feed the animals,” he said. “He answered a few calls too.”
He held up a hand. “Wait a second.”
He disappeared into what seemed to be a bedroom. Moments later he emerged wearing an ecru pullover shirt decorated across the chest with spice-colored Indian designs.
“Come on, let’s go back in my office. It’s more comfortable there.”
He offered her a hand, as if she couldn’t navigate solo through all the clutter. His grip was firm and warm.
“Sorry about the mess,” Wil said. “I just got back from Africa two days ago.”
“Africa,” Samantha said. “How exciting! What did you do there?”
She expected to hear a glamorous story of a safari.
“Child-abduction case,” Wil explained. “I’ve been working on this one for three years.”
“Did you find the child?”
“Yeah, but it wasn’t easy getting him,” Wil said. “I had some mercenaries involved in ‘rekidnapping’ him. But it was worth it. He’s home with his mother now.”
Samantha smiled. How could anyone be so matter-of-fact about such an adventure?
“You must be glad when such a long case turns out successfully.”
“You bet,” Wil agreed.
Unlike the living room, Wil’s office was neat and efficiently furnished. Samantha guessed Wil spent most of his time in here. An oak and black laminate computer center had been built around one corner of the room, well-lit by overhead track lights and two tall prairie windows. Books and other knickknacks filled some of the cubbies, but most were occupied by small cages and aquariums.
“You have so many pets!” she exclaimed. ‘Julie would love it here.”
Samantha neared one cage and searched among the rocks and branches inside. She couldn’t see anything.
“Barney lives in there,” Wil said. “He’s a reticulated python. I don’t think Julie would like him very much. He’s got a bad temper.”
Wil showed her the marks of a bite on the heel of his right hand.
“Is Julie your daughter?”
“Oh, no,” Samantha said. “She’s the reason I came to see you.”
Wil swung a wheeled office chair around and pushed it toward her. She sat down. He started to do so himself, but stopped.
“Sorry,” he said. “I’ve been out of touch with civilization for so long I’ve forgotten my manners. Do you want some coffee or tea or something?”
“No, thanks,” Samantha said with a smile. As far as she could see, Wil’s manners were just fine.
“Then let’s get on with your story,” he said. “What exactly do you want me to do?”
“I want you to find Julie’s real family,” Samantha said. “You see, I only met her a few days ago. I woke up in a strange motel room, and there she was.”
“Did she say how she got there?”
Samantha shook her head.
“She said she came from some kind of home,” Samantha said. “She can’t remember anything else. At least, nothing concrete. She does have some frightening memories—almost ‘daymares.’ “
Wil sat back in his chair, rubbing his thumb along his jawline.
“Let me understand this,” he said. “You’ve got some kid living with you that you don’t know, have never seen before, and want to get rid of?”
“I didn’t say that!” Samantha protested. “I really care about Julie. In truth, it’s the very fact that I’m beginning to love her like a daughter that’s brought me to you. I can’t let myself become attached to this little girl if her family is waiting for her to come back. Detective Sherer, I need to find out who she is and where she came from. I need to know why she’s been given to me, of all people.”