Pat Ritter. Books

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'The Proposition' - Page 67:

‘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 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.
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'The Proposition' - Page 68:

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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'The Proposition' - Page 69:

‘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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'The Proposition' - Page 70:

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, 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.
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'The Proposition' - Page 71:

‘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 missing. They could be, and the bones look as though they’ve been here for quite a while. We’ll wait until the forensic people arrive.’ Kate advised.
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'The Proposition' - Page 72:

‘I wouldn’t mind if Quincy had a look at this crime scene and get his opinion on the remains.’ Bundy asked.
‘I doubt it would be possible. Larry doesn’t know Quincy and he wouldn’t want another forensic scientist, especially retired one, thrashing over these remains until he knows who they belong to.’
‘Can you ask your friend Larry, if we can borrow a bone to see if Quincy can detect DNA? Quincy already has Peter’s DNA; if there is a match, the case is solved in discovering Peter’s body.’ Bundy requested.
She walked away to think about his request. If the femur bone was taken to Quincy and he examined it to compare DNA, it would solve the investigation immediately. How would she disturb the remains without Larry knowing? No – it’s a stupid idea. We need to be patient.
‘Sorry Bundy, I’ve thought about your request and it’s a stupid idea. I can’t do it.’ Kate admitted.
‘Do you want me to ask Larry to hand me a piece of bone, so we can have Quincy examine it for DNA? Or I could contact the Commissioner to ask his approval.’ He commented.
‘Don’t be ridiculous. What will he think of us, wanting to tear the skeleton apart, like a cooked chook, before the forensic people get here? And if you ever try to reach the Commissioner without my knowledge, I’ll have your guts for garters - understood. Do you understand?’ She repeated in a direct voice looking Bundy directly in the eyes as she spoke the words with a sneer on her face.
‘I’m only trying to help. I’ll wait.’ Bundy replied.
‘I think it’d be better if you did.’ Kate agreed.
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'The Proposition' - Page 73:

Bundy remembered a couple of similar times he was involved with skeletons, more like this one where human remains had been located. His first memory of a human skeleton was found inside galvanised iron sheeting wrapped around a trunk of a tree, in the middle of a paddock. A tree poison contractor discovered the remains.
His thoughts travelled back in time. Because the remains couldn’t be moved before they were examined, a forensic pathologist travelled from Brisbane to examine them. A smile spread across his lips as he remembered a convoy of police vehicles heading to the property. When they arrived; a host of detectives, from the local area and homicide gathered around the tree. If it wasn’t so serious, it would have looked strange to an outsider.
After the pathologist examined the bones he discovered they were over one hundred years old. Bundy looked at the galvanised iron sheeting and thought, galvanise iron wasn’t invented until the early century. How could this galvanised iron be used at the time?
Once the identity of the skeleton was established it was suggested to interview the owner of the property to determine the identity of the deceased. Bundy had the job to interview the owner who informed him the remains were of an elder aboriginal tribesman who passed away many years ago from old age, aboriginal custom was to bury the skeleton in a tree. Case closed.
Next time Bundy discovered skeleton bones was near a creek bed. They’d washed alongside the creek bank. This time because the bones were scattered it meant the whole area needed to be treated as a crime scene.
For days Bundy with a team of other police sifted sand through sand sifters, ones used to shake sand through wire gauze. Small bones were discovered however not all the skeleton was found. Eventually there was sufficient bone to identify the deceased person.
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