Pat Ritter. Books

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Thank you dub, Nevis. Page for today.

'The Proposition' - Page 7:

‘Take the desk over there in the corner.’ She stated in a command voice.
Bundy walked behind the desk and sat on the chair facing the monitor, blank screen, his mind not certain how he should approach the conversation to break the ice. Instincts told him it was going to be tough.
‘Do you know why the Commissioner wanted me to work with you?’ He asked in a soft and inviting tone.
‘Something about you, and your way of being a detective, he told me. Look – let’s get something straight before we start. I don’t know why he chose you; I’ve read your record and yes, I admit you were a good detective, in your day, but I emphasise, the word - were. I’ll do what the Commissioner wants, to please him because he’s the boss and I’m not going against his wishes.’ Her voice raised and fell as she spoke. Her expression told Bundy she wasn’t excited working with him.
‘Hey, don’t get your tits in a tangle – I didn’t know what he wanted. All I did was thank him for sending me two medals. He was the one who wanted to see me - okay.’ Bundy calmed once he expressed what he wanted to say at their initial meeting.
‘My tits - as you referred to them, and don’t you ever refer to my body parts like that again if you don’t mind, these are mine and I’m the only one who can refer to them that way. And they’re not in a tangle if you must know.’
‘Alright, I’m sorry; I guess you are in your late thirties. I have a daughter who is thirty-nine.’

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'The Proposition' - Page 8:

‘It’s none of your business how old I am.’ She exploded. If looks could kill Bundy would have been dead on the spot. Her eyes blasted a message of non-compliance.
‘I didn’t mean anything bad - but I wonder how you rose to the rank of Detective Superintendent at your age? I was only a Sergeant First Class at a similar age.’
‘Not by lying on my back – if that’s what you’re insinuating. I worked bloody hard. Not as hard as you did obviously, but I put in the hours.’
‘Are you married or have a family?’ Bundy tried to change the subject.
‘It’s none of your business – no, I never married nor have a family. My parents are both deceased and I am the only child. My dad was a detective in the job. Does that answer your question?’
‘Yes – thank you. What was your dad’s name?’
‘Harold Emerson – he retired with the rank of Detective Inspector. Did you know him?’ Her voice quietened.
‘Ah…let me think, yeah, I remember him. He was a great bloke, very methodical and always dressed neat – wore a suit and hat, as they did in his day.’
‘You remember him.’ She appeared to not believe Bundy knew her father.
‘Yes, he was a Detective Inspector when I was a trainee detective back in the 70’s. He was a great bloke - now we’ve broken the ice – what is it we’ve got to do?’
Both looked at one another in a way two champions eyed each other before competing in a prize fight. Bundy couldn’t see a telephone on either desk, ‘don’t you have telephones here in this office. Are you important enough not to have them?’ He asked.
‘In your day you had telephones but today we have mobile phones.’ She produced a small hand size black instrument in her right palm; using her thumb she flipped a lid to show Bundy the face of a gadget flashing lights and numbers.

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'The Proposition' - Page 9:

‘What’s that – one of those new-fangled gadgets you talk into?’ he asked.
‘You mean to say – you don’t have a mobile phone – how old are you?’
‘I’m old enough to be your father – ah...sorry about that, I didn’t mean to refer to your father. Anyway – I’m old enough.’
‘Do you know how to use the computer – did they have computers in your day?’ She asked sullenly.
‘Yes, but not fancy ones like these. Ours were large – exceptionally large. They’re different now. I suppose after twenty years I’d expect many things have changed.’
‘I agree.’ She answered, their eyes met for the first time.
At least she was dropping her tone; he noticed the ice melted.
‘How about we go to the canteen and have a coffee?’ He asked, ‘do they still have a canteen? I need a heart starter before we go any further.’
They left the office.

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Thank you Nevis: Page for today.

'The Proposition' - Page 10:

Chapter 2

To Bundy’s surprise, the canteen was in the same place when the building was officially opened in 1989. He was one of the selected few who were permitted to attend the opening.
‘Nothing much has changed,’ he told his new partner when they walked into the canteen. ‘What do you have?’ Bundy requested.
‘Flat white thank you - strong.’
Bundy ordered a strong flat white and a hot chocolate. He stopped drinking coffee a couple of years before. At the time he was having lunch at his favourite café when the coffee he ordered, after he drank a mouthful, scorched his throat, causing him to faint. He was taken to the hospital thinking he’d had a heart attack. Since then he only drank hot chocolate.
‘Haven’t you been weaned?’ Detective Superintendent Emerson said when Bundy returned to their table with the refreshments.
‘What’d mean.’
‘Hot chocolate – that’s what you drink before you go to bed at night.’
‘There’s a story attached to drinking hot chocolate – I’ll share it with you one day when we get to know one another a little better.’ He answered.
They sat at a table waiting for their drinks to cool. Detective Superintendent Emerson waved to other officers she knew. One officer walked over to their table, ‘hi Kathleen, you didn’t go to the party the other night. Weren’t you well?’ This person asked.
‘I’m sorry; I didn’t feel up to it. I’ve got a lot on my plate right now, perhaps another time.’ The person said goodbye and left.

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'The Proposition' - Page 11:

‘You can’t burn the candle at both ends. It’s what happened with me. I never realised until I retired how many hours I put in for the service and then thrown onto the scrap heap - until now.’ Bundy expressed.
‘If you must know, I don’t burn the candle at both ends. I didn’t want to go to their damn party - they treat me like a leaper – it’s as if I’ve got two heads.’ She expressed.
‘Probably they’re jealous – there’s a lot in the service. Shortly after I joined, a fellow officer told me not to expect many friends whilst I was in the job. When I asked him why; his reply: because the ones in the job were too frightened you would get ahead of them and the ones outside didn’t want to know you because you’re a copper.’
‘If that’s the case, why did you accept this proposition from the Commissioner?’ She asked in a friendly tone.
‘I’m intrigued; and at the same time want to get back on the horse. Twenty years is a long time, I don’t think I’ve lost anything. I’m much older and perhaps wiser, let’s hope so. I loved my work as a detective; it kept me alive in tough times.’ Bundy shared.
They finished their drinks and returned to their dingy small office which wasn’t large enough to swing a cat.
‘How about letting me know why the Commissioner wanted me to work with you?’ Bundy requested.
‘Eight years ago, I was a detective working at the Sunshine Coast when a twelve-year-old boy disappeared. He’s still missing. I’ve been working on the case ever since.’ She admitted to Bundy.
‘How does this concern me?’ Bundy queried.
‘After you sent your letter, the Commissioner asked to see me. I bought him up-to-speed with the investigation. He told me you’d written a letter after you received your medals. He strongly suggested he bring you in to work with me in the hope you can help solve the mystery.’

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'The Proposition' - Page 12:

‘Eight years you’ve been working on this case. Why haven’t you asked for assistance before?’ Bundy wanted to know.
‘I didn’t need to. I don’t need it now. I’ve been handling it okay; but when you’re told by the Commissioner, he had another suggestion, you do as you’re told.’
‘Okay – here I am. You’d better get me up-to-speed. Eight years - my wife lost her fight with cancer nine years ago.’ Bundy shared.
‘I’m sorry to hear that. Are you alright to work this case?’ She sounded sincere.
‘You bet your life I am. I’ve been itching to get back into something like this for a long time. I never thought I’d get another opportunity. This is an opportunity of a lifetime. Its makes me feel young and alive.’ Bundy smiled.
‘Do you know how to switch on the computer?’ She asked.
‘There’s a switch here somewhere, isn’t there. Ah - here it is.’ Bundy switched on the computer to see the monitor flash alive with icons and a buzzing noise.
‘In the beginning I set up a data base to record the investigation. Click onto icon “missing child” and the file will come up. The password is Peter. The name of the child is Peter Clayton. He was twelve years old at the time.’ She expressed in a soft and concerned voice.
Bundy clicked on the icon and opened the file. Pages upon pages of documentation, times, dates, references, and other information glared from the screen. ‘How am I going to get up-to-speed with this?’ He asked.
‘Have you a computer at home?’ She asked.
‘Yes – why?’

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'The Proposition' - Page 13:
‘I can download the file onto a USB and you can read it at your leisure at home. You don’t have to work here everyday. I can call you when I need you.’ Her voice softened.
‘You’re probably right. I can do that. It’ll take me awhile to read all of this and make notes. Is there any evidence of his whereabouts or if he’s alive?’ Bundy wanted to know.
‘Not yet. I’ve interviewed many people, I’m afraid there’s not much to go on. This investigation has been my life for eight years. I’ve lived, drank and eaten it.’ She answered.
‘A new set of eyes could make a difference.’ Bundy finished. His mind immediately flashed to 1975 when an elderly woman was murdered. His boss at the time after reading the running sheet identified a name which turned out to be the killer.
Kate downloaded the file and handed the USB to Bundy.
‘Have you my home phone number? I haven’t a mobile phone and don’t want one.’ Bundy asked.
‘Yes - here is my mobile number. You phone me anytime; if you can’t get me leave a message. I’ll get back to you.’ She answered.
‘I suppose that’s it for today. I’ll have a look at your work and get back to you when I’m ready.’
‘Take your time. It’s been eight years; another couple are not going to hurt. I hope you can help. I dream of either finding Peter alive, or his remains, he would’ve been twenty-one years old now. Which ever it turns out would be great way to close the file?’ Detective Superintendent Emerson was now calm and agreeable.
Bundy placed the USB in his pocket and left the office. On his journey home his thoughts were of Detective Superintendent Kathleen Emerson and how she’d spent the past eight years of her life investigating a missing child.