Pat Ritter. Books

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'The Proposition' - Page 113:

‘Yes – yes, certainly doctor. We’ll be there in fifteen minutes.’ She flipped her phone closed. ‘He’s got the results. Let’s go.’ Kate beckoned to Bundy.
Fifteen minutes later they sat in front of Doctor Fitzgerald.
‘Each sample we examined to compare hair from the brush and clothing; to compare the DNA found in the skeleton, was a match. I am satisfied Colleen Andersen is identified through this matching as the skeleton found at the forestry.’
Kate could have jumped up and hugged him, she was delighted beyond any feeling she’d ever experienced.
‘Thank you Doctor Fitzgerald. We’ll advise the parents and arrest the offender. Good job.’ She couldn’t wipe the smile from her face. Her body shook with excitement and relief. Something was going right for once.
They bid the doctor farewell and left his office.
‘Isn’t this the most fantastic day of your life, Bundy?’ She declared when they reached the vehicle.
‘You deserve it Kate – do you want to do the honours of telling her parents of this discovery?’ Bundy offered the question.
‘If you don’t mind - I think, I’ll keep it together this time now we know the outcome. Life couldn’t get better – could it?’ She smiled and looked across to him.
‘Don’t get too excited, after we inform the parents of this finding, I think it will be a relief for them, and closure when we arrest Denis for the crimes.’ Bundy explained.
‘Can you explain how we arrest and charge Denis?’ Her demeanour changed from excited to solemn. She never before arrested or charged a person with murder.
‘Because he’s already in-custody, it’s only a matter of explaining to him about the findings and charging him with the offences.’ Bundy said.
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‘What offences.’ She replied, ‘I thought there was on one – murder.’
‘What about depravation of liberty.’ Bundy echoed.
‘What – I’ve never heard of the charge.’
‘Denis drugged the girl, placed her in his vehicle against her will and drove her to the spot where he murdered her. He deprived her of her liberty.’ Bundy explained.
‘How do you know about this?’ Kate frowned.
‘Back – a long time ago.’ Bundy began.
‘Here we go again – back in my day.’ She tormented him.
‘Okay – back in my day, another detective, I worked with in those days; we investigated two girls picked up on the side of the road by a truck driver. They wanted to be dropped off in the centre of town.’
‘There’s nothing wrong with getting a lift, hitch-hiking - it’s not a crime.’
‘Unfortunately for the girls the driver didn’t stop where they wanted to be dropped off. Instead he continued until he drove across a bridge and slowed. One of the girls opened the door and jumped from the truck, the other followed.’
‘How could this incident be compared to your incident?’ Kate wanted to know.
‘Denis deprived Colleen of freely driving in his car, the same as the truck driver did with the two girls. Can you see the comparison?’ He asked.
‘A little – anyway, I suppose you’ll never let up until we charged Denis on both offences – will you?’ Kate asked.
‘No – he did the crime, he should do the time.’ Bundy finished.
Before they arrived at the Andersen’s home, Bundy asked Kate if she felt up to breaking the news of the identity of their daughter, ‘yes – I’m right. I’ll need to keep my emotions in check. If not I’ll hand it over to you.’
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Kate and Bundy sat on the lounge in the Andersen home. Carol and Jim sat opposite, ‘Carol and Jim, the tests have been finalised to compare the samples of hair from the brush to the skeleton found at the forestry. These tests proved positive.’ Before Kate could explain the examination, Carol openly sobbed, placed her face into her hands. Jim cuddled his wife.
Kate said, ‘we’re sorry for your loss.’ Her voice trembled and tears sprung into her eyes.
Carol continued sobbing with Jim hugging his wife. Jim’s eyes filled with tears, his throat thickened; he looked at Kate and Bundy, ‘thank you. Can you give us a moment?’
‘Of course, we’ll leave.’ Kate and Bundy left.
When they returned to their vehicle Kate said, ‘why do we do this job?’
‘Kate, you did well. I know you’re upset and angry. It’s not the end. We’ve still got to charge Denis with murder.’ Bundy explained.
‘Charge the bastard – I’d like to see him hang by his neck until dead – what he did to Colleen would justify hanging’, she said angrily.
‘Are you okay to drive?’ Bundy asked.
‘Yeah – I’m okay. This is emotional Bundy – don’t you feel anything?’ She questioned.
‘Yes – however, if we’re going to finish the job, let’s finish it.’ He explained.
They drove in silence until they reached their office.
‘When do you want to charge Denis?’ Bundy asked.
‘Bloody immediately, if not sooner.’ Kate exploded.
‘Okay, I’ll contact Colin to see when we can see Denis and charge him.’ Bundy went ahead and contacted Colin who arranged the appropriate time for Denis to be charged.
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'The Proposition' - Page 130:

‘Kate, take us to the Brisbane Exhibition grounds, I’ll introduce you to Norm to see what we come up with.’
Kate drove to Brisbane Exhibition grounds in Gregory Terrace, Fortitude Valley and parked in front of the main office. They entered the foyer and met an attendant, ‘can I help you?’ He asked in an inviting voice.
Bundy didn’t recognize the attendant, it’d been twenty years since he worked at the same front counter of the main entrance to the building, ‘I’m Bundy Quicksilver and this is Detective Superintendent Kate Emerson, could we speak with Norm Thompson, please?’
‘I’ll see if he’s in his office.’ The attendant telephoned a number, spoke to someone and replaced the telephone. He opened a side door and motioned Bundy and Kate through, ‘follow me,’ he instructed. Bundy knew where to go because he’d worked as Norm’s assistant shortly after he retired from the police.
‘Well, if it’s not Bundy Quicksilver,’ a voice echoed from inside of an office, ‘come in – you old scoundrel, haven’t seen you in ages.’ They shook hands and Norm dismissed the attendant.
‘Norm, great to see you again, been a long time, since I worked here, this is Detective Superintendent Kate Emerson. I work with her in the police.’ Bundy explained.
Norm shook Kate’s hand and offered both a seat. He was astonished to see Bundy again after so many years, ‘what brings you here to see me – if the police are involved, I haven’t got anything to hide.’ Norm loved the police presence because throughout the annual show the police was necessary to control crowds and find lost children.
‘Norm, we’re here to ask a favour. We’ve been working on the disappearance of a twelve year old boy reported by his mother missing eight years ago. Our investigations so far haven’t been great. It’s been like
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looking for a needle in a haystack. We’re hoping you may be able to help us.’ Bundy pleaded.
‘What do you want? I’ll help you as much as I can.’ Norm replied in a sincere voice.
‘Do you have records of trotting drivers dating back twenty-two years to 1990?’ Bundy asked.
‘You’ll have to look through them yourselves, the show starts next week and you know how busy we are before the show.’ Norm explained.
‘That’s okay – point us in the right direction?’ Bundy asked.
‘I’ll take you – ah, you should remember, upstairs above the canteen. You remember carrying those boxes of tickets down the stairs and I told you not too because you had a bad heart.’ Norm reminded Bundy.
‘Yes, I remember. You were only looking after my health. I carried most of the boxes down the stairs and didn’t keel over, if I remember.’
‘You were lucky – what’s this all about?’ Norm asked as they left his office and all three walked to the canteen in the main pavilion.
‘Kate has been investigating the disappearance of a twelve year old boy and we think he could’ve come here to look for his father. It’s only a guess at this stage. We’re clutching at straws. His mother told us she had a one night affair with a trotting driver named Ralph back in 1990. Does it help?’ Bundy explained.
Norm thought about the name ‘Ralph’, ‘not much. Nothing rings a bell. I’ll show you where to go and you can look through the records. You certainly haven’t got much to go on.’
They walked up a flight of stairs to a door on a small platform. Norm put a key in the lock and opened a door. They entered a small room, smelt stuffy of cardboard and stale air.
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‘I’ll open the windows to let in some fresh air.’ Norm opened casements windows on the side of the room. ‘Here are all the show records for the past fifty years. Each box has a year stamped on it – have a look for 1990 and see what you can find. I’ll leave you the key and don’t forget to lock up after you leave, and return the key to me.’
‘Thanks Norm, I appreciate your help.’
‘Okay I’ll leave you to it. See me before you leave.’ Norm left.
‘This isn’t what I expected.’ Kate exploded and looked directly at Bundy with a look and said, ‘this is not what I’m meant to do’.
‘What did you expect – Ralph to jump out a box and show himself.’ Bundy fought back. What was it with these modern officers – they expect everything to fall into their lap without working for it, he thought it better to not express his true feelings. ‘Come on then, let’s start looking through these boxes or we’ll never get out of here.’
Kate walked beside boxes piled ten high toward the ceiling. The room began to heat up without a breeze floating through the open windows. It was a storeroom afterall with no air-conditioning. Each cardboard box was the size of a fruit box, thirty centimetres in length; twenty centimetres wide and a similar distance in height.
‘I’d better move these for you; they might be a little heavy.’ Bundy went to lift the first carton but Kate moved in front of him and lifted the top box from the pile and placed it onto the floor.
‘There you are - I’m not so useless. What year is this one?’ She said through a shallow breath.
‘1962.’ Bundy replied.
‘We have a good way to go – don’t we?’ Kate moved to take another box from the pile and noticed it was marked 1965. ‘At least we’re heading in the right direction.’ She said.
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'The Proposition' - Page 133:

Bundy counted each box from 1965 to what he thought could be 1990. He lifted a box to the floor marked 1990. ‘We have it.’
Each box was sealed with tape. Bundy tore the tape from the top of the box and opened the lid. Inside was packed sheets of paper. He lifted the top sheet and read – Royal National Show 1990.
‘At least we have the right box, now to see the trotting events.’ He lifted each sheet from the box and placed one at a time onto another box. Kate surveyed the entries.
‘Here are harness racing events.’ Kate placed a pile of sheets of printed paper on top of another box, ‘now to find ‘Ralph’, come on ‘Ralph’ – show yourself.’ She fingered through each sheet, reading for names of drivers as she glanced at each sheet.
‘Why don’t you hand me half of the pile so I can help you. It’s getting hot in here and the sooner we find the correct sheet – the sooner we can leave.’ Bundy said.
Kate halved the pile and handed one half to Bundy. They scanned the sheet of forms, one by one until Kate said, ‘here is a name ‘Ralph’ - Petersen; won race 4 on the programme.’ Kate showed Bundy the entry and the form.
‘We’ll take it with us. The name Ralph Petersen doesn’t ring a bell. Have a look to see if there’s any other ‘Ralph’ as a driver.’
Both continued searching each sheet of paper and finally only found one entry with ‘Ralph’ who competed at the show. They took possession of the sheet, returned the other forms to the box, closed the flaps, tried to seal the edges with the disused sticky tape and replaced the box in with the pile of other boxes.
They locked the room and returned to Norm’s office.
‘How’d you go – find anything?’ Norm asked.
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