Pat Ritter. Books

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'The Proposition' (A Bundy Quicksilver Mystery) - Page 66:

family tree Peter Clayton, and each branch leading from the trunk a relative to Peter.’
‘Ah, I know what you mean. Okay leave it with me to design the tree and when I’ve completed it, I’ll show you.’ Kate told Bundy.
Kate worked on a design of a family tree first creating a trunk, extended branches, reaching left and right from the trunk. Her design favoured Bundy because it was the same design he visioned in his mind. She coloured the trunk a light brown colour, with each branch a lighter brown, almost a light shade of green. She showed the design to Bundy in hope he liked what she’d done.
‘It’s exactly what I had in my mind. See how this stuff works. I transmitted my thoughts to you, extra sensory perception - ESP.’ Bundy’s excitement overflowed when he saw what Kate designed.
‘Bundy, it’s only synergy. I understood what you wanted from how you explained it and because we’re getting to know one another more each day’. She replied.
‘Anyway, believe what you want – synergy or not. This is terrific. We can now collect DNA from Peter’s relatives and link them to one another, using the family tree.’ Bundy’s excitement grew, his mind buzzing with the ‘secret weapon’ designed by Quincy.
Bundy through back to the time he entered the computer branch as a sergeant first class. Computers in the force than were in their infancy. He wanted to start at the bottom and totally understand how they worked and what they did to combat crime.
At first he was surprised how easy he understood some of the systems, particularly when he was asked to search for the identity of a male person found dead on a beach in northern Australia. Tattoos with the words I LOVE YOU were on the back of the deceased left hand fingers. Entering the desired computer language, and after a

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search of the missing person database, one name appeared on the scene. It turned out to be the deceased person. He was identified by the tattoos and was reported as a missing person some months before.
Although Bundy had been absent from investigation work for over twenty years, he continued to crave the hunger which led him through many investigations. A ping went off in the back of his mind when the dots didn’t come together. He felt positive about Quincy’s ‘secret weapon’ and would use it to locate Peter Clayton whether he was alive or dead.
Kate completed the design and showed it to Bundy ‘is this what you wanted?’
He looked at the computer screen; it was exactly what he wanted. The trunk had the name Peter Clayton running from the top to bottom. Branches speared from the trunk to show spaces to fill in various names of relatives. She did exactly what he required her to do.
‘Kate – it’s exactly what I want. Can you print it out, a couple of copies please?’ Kate moved the cursor to the print icon button, clicked the mouse; the printer came alive. A replica of the trunk and branches appeared on paper in colour.
‘Here, you have one and I’ll keep one. Can you print one for Quincy, ah, hang on a minute; we can e-mail him one. Here is his e-mail address.’ Bundy opened his wallet and produced a card showing Quincy’s e-mail address with his contact details.
Kate e-mailed the print to Quincy.
‘What’s next?’ She asked in an excited voice.
‘From your files I see you have a photograph of Peter shortly before he went missing.’ He said.
Kate opened a file and displayed a photograph of Peter Clayton. ‘Here it is.’ She showed Bundy the photograph.

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‘Could you have your expert people create the photograph to show how he would look at his present age of twenty-one years?’ Bundy asked.
Without another word Kate transmitted the image to a person who she knew would make the desired changes, ‘there you are, I’ve sent it to Dennis - he’ll alter the photograph to show his present digital image at twenty-one years old. He designed a similar photograph when he turned eighteen.’ Kate displayed the photograph on the screen for Bundy to view.
‘That’s good – now when we receive this new photograph, can you make it small so you can hang it onto the trunk of the family tree to show what Peter would look like today?’ Bundy requested.
‘It’s easy.’ With the photograph of Peter Clayton at eighteen years old she reduced it and pasted the photograph at the desired place Bundy asked. ‘What do you want now?’
‘We’ve got to have a photograph of Mrs Clayton, Mr Clayton, Peter’s grandparents, and any other relative to place on the family tree.’ Bundy requested.
‘We’d better get going then – shouldn’t we, if we’re to see Mary and then her mother and try to gather these photographs. I never thought of doing anything like this. What is it going to show?’ She asked Bundy.
‘I don’t know at this stage. Once we place the photographs onto the family tree it may make more sense. Wait until then.’ He answered.
‘Have you always been like this? Is it any wonder no detective could keep up with you?’ Kate closed down the computer and grabbed the car keys and her purse, ‘come on then, these photographs won’t get their selves.’ She indicated to Bundy.
As they left the office Kate’s mobile telephone came alive. She answered it. ‘Yes, yes, we’ll be there in an

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hour.’ She closed the telephone and placed it in her pocket. ‘Come on – they’ve found human remains in the forestry not far from where Peter went missing.’ Her voice filled with excitement and her face gleamed with a smile.
Kate drove from the city along the Bruce Highway headed north.
‘This is what investigation work is all about Bundy, not bloody family trees or books on thought. This could be Peter. Its eight years, this could be him; we could’ve found him at last.’ Her hopes were high. Bundy kept silent and observed the difference in his partner’s attitude. She became alive with enthusiasm.
Driving past the township of Caboolture Kate continued along the Bruce Highway until they came to a turnoff on the left hand side past a Mobil Service Station. Kate lifted the hand-piece on the radio and spoke into it, ‘car 45 reporting, Detective Superintendent Emerson speaking. Can you guide me to the location where the remains were found this morning?’
‘Car 45, where are you, what’s your location?’ A male voice echoed through the receiver.
‘We’ve turned off the highway and heading west along a dirt track. Where are you?’ She reported.
‘Larry Smiles here Kate. Drive another two kilometres and you’ll see a sign, ‘Don’t Enter’. You’ll see we’re not far from the sign. You can’t miss us.’ The male voice replied.
‘Thanks Larry – we’ll be there in a jiffy.’ Kate replaced the hand-piece onto the cradle on the dashboard, ‘great – Larry Smiles is here. We were the detectives who started this investigation together eight years ago. If it’s Peter, Larry will stick it to me, you can be certain. He loves to get anything on me he can.’ She spat in anger.

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‘Kate – would you slow down a little, thank you. We’ll reach the scene and you can have your time with Larry.’ Bundy asked Kate in a polite voice.
‘Don’t worry he’ll gloat about the find. He always told me he’d find Peter before I did. Everything is falling into place. It’s just through those trees and along the road where Peter lived. It’s falling into place Bundy.’ Kate looked glum.
‘It mightn’t even be Peter’s remains, have you ever considered the possibility. You’re putting the cart before the horse. We won’t know until a proper examination is complete. No good worrying about it now. If it is him and Larry has got one up on you, then so be it, but until then – settle down and do the job right. Don’t worry about who discovered the body.’ Bundy tried to be compassionate.
She parked the vehicle close to a ‘Don’t Enter’ sign. Both alighted with Kate extending her steps two to Bundy’s one. He started to feel his age and knew to take it slower otherwise he wouldn’t be use to anyone. She almost began to run when they were only a few metres from the crime scene.
A crime strip coloured blue with white checks, which they never had in Bundy’s time, surrounded the area where the skeleton remains were found. A uniform police office holding a clipboard asked Bundy and Kate their names and identification before they entered the area. Kate displayed her official police badge whilst Bundy showed an identification photograph he carried when entering police headquarters. They entered the crime scene.
Two plain clothes officers stood opposite a small bush. The ground was disturbed. Bundy saw Kate walk toward these two officers. It was obvious she knew them and they knew her.

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Chapter 9

‘Larry, this is Bundy Quicksilver. He’s helping me with the disappearance of Peter Clayton.’ they shook hands. It was a firm grip. Bundy always was keen to shake another person’s hand. The handshake told much about the other person, particularly if they smiled with a warm greeting. If it was firm, he immediately liked the person; however, if the other person declined to shake his hand, there was a reason.
Larry Smiles was of similar rank to Kate’s rank. They were both Detective Superintendents. This rank puzzled Bundy for when he was a detective if you held this rank you wouldn’t be at a crime scene. Your official duty was at Police Headquarters Command Post directing operations. Things had certainly changed since his days in the job. Detective Superintendent Smiles was in-charge of Homicide.
Human bones were discovered by a forestry worker who was spraying poisonous weeds. He’d told Detective Superintendent Smiles whilst he was spraying near the bottom of a bush; he felt something different he walked on. The ground was soft. It wasn’t a stick so he kicked the toe of his boot against the object, discovered human bones, a femur bone of a human being.
Bundy saw the remains of a shallow grave with a human bone protruding. He moved closer - it was difficult to see the complete picture from where he was standing.
‘Don’t go too close, Bundy; we’re waiting for our forensic people to arrive.’ Detective Superintendent Smiles asked in a kind voice.
‘Sorry – I’ll keep out of the way.’ Bundy left the crime scene and returned outside of the colour ribboned perimeter. Habit overtook his senses, he recorded on a clip-board a diagram of the position of the human remains,

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where different officers stood, estimated size of the area where the human remains were found. After he completed, Kate walked over to stand beside him.
‘What’re you doing?’ She asked in an inquisitive voice.
‘Recording the scene, taking notes of where everyone is standing. Who’s the name of the other fellow with your friend Larry?’ Bundy asked.
‘He’s a trainee detective. I didn’t get his name. Larry didn’t introduce us. Is it important?’ Kate asked.
‘I’ll put him down as trainee detective – that’ll do for now.’
‘You do know I recorded everything on my mobile phone – don’t you?’ Kate explained.
‘What – does that thing take videos?’
‘Yes.’ She opened her mobile telephone and showed Bundy the video she recorded of the scene, with conversations between her and Smiles.
‘It’s no wonder you love that thing. I’d sleep with it if it can do everything you’ve shown me.’ Bundy was surprised to see the re-enactment of the crime scene, discovery of the human remains and heard the conversation between both parties at the crime scene displayed on Kate’s mobile phone.
‘What’s next?’ Bundy asked Kate to know what she intended to do.
‘We’ve got to wait for our forensic team, Larry has arranged to have trainee police from the Police Academy together with SES volunteers to search the area for anything which could lead to the identity of the deceased person.’
‘Do you think these remains are Peter Clayton?’ Bundy asked.
‘I don’t know - I’m not a pathologist. It’s only a couple of kilometres through those trees where he went