Pat Ritter. Books

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‘I’m pleased to be of help. Let me know when you want to speak to him again.’ Colin farewelled Bundy and Kate.
On their return to the office Bundy was quiet. Kate drove.
‘What’ll we do now?’ Kate asked.
‘Hopefully Larry will have the names of the missing persons and if one of them has blonde hair and disappeared from Kippa-Ring six years ago; we’ll have a name and victim.’ Bundy explained. ‘Otherwise we’re still up that proverbial creek without a paddle.’
‘Then we’ll wait until we see Larry.’ Kate finished.
‘Kate – it’s getting late, this interview took a lot out of me, emotionally. Would you mind if we get back to this tomorrow. I’ve got to drive home; I’m a bit bushed, actually.’ Bundy said.
‘Okay – what about you stay at my place tonight?’ Kate said looking across at him with a smile.
He didn’t know what to say. His thoughts of driving the hour and a half, ‘you don’t mind - I didn’t bring a change of clothes.’
‘Don’t worry about the clothes, I’ll wash and iron the ones you’re wearing, so you can wear them tomorrow.’
‘What am I going to wear in the meantime – walk around naked?’
‘I’ve got an ozi cosy you can wear.’
‘What’s an ozi cosy?’
‘You know – a wrap around to keep you warm. They’re like an oversize blanket. It won’t take long to wash your clothes and dry them.’ Kate explained.
‘Okay, what about I buy some dinner before we go to your place.’
‘I’ll have pizza; we can have it while your clothes are being washed.’

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Kate found a pizza shop. They entered and Bundy asked Kate which type she liked, ‘supreme, what about you – what will you have?’ Kate answered.
‘I think I’ll have half seafood and half pineapple.’ Bundy replied. He ordered. Living in the bush he didn’t have pizza.
Kate lived in a unit block a couple of kilometres from the centre of the city. When they entered the unit Bundy let out a gasp of surprise to see the unit overlook the Brisbane River in all its splendour and glory mirrored by the backdrop of city buildings and lights.
‘Have a look on the balcony while I put the kettle on and make you a hot chocolate.’ Kate said.
Bundy opened the sliding door, felt a cool breeze from the river and smelt CO2 from the motor vehicles driving along the freeway. Lights flashed across the city, noisy vehicles, filled his ears. He stood looking ahead and though he could never again live in the city.
‘Okay – off with everything, put this on. You can use the spare bedroom.’ Kate handed Bundy a blue coloured blanket. He entered the bedroom, closed the door and striped his clothing including his underwear.
Wrapped in the ozi cosy around his naked body – it felt strange to be in his partner’s apartment walking around practically naked. Kate took Bundy’s clothes and left the kitchen.
‘You’ve got skid marks on your undies.’ She called out, ‘I’ll bleach them.’
‘Sorry – it comes with the territory of being over sixty – loose wind.’ Bundy called back. ‘I feel like the sheik from scrubby creek – you know the song Chad Morgan sang?’
‘Too early for me, I’ve never heard of him or the song. Is it uncomfortable?’
‘No – I’m right. Kate, I appreciate you doing this.’

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‘You did it for me – don’t forget. I’m returning the favour.’
Kate joined Bundy at the kitchen table where they enjoyed their pizza and hot chocolate. She opened a bottle of wine.
‘You did a great job there today.’ She mentioned in between chewing a piece of pizza and taking a sip of wine.
‘I’m pleased he told us a few things. I would’ve loved to have his motor vehicle and the shovel. A soil sample from the shovel would have been great to match with the soil where the skeleton was found.’ Bundy explained between eating pizza.
‘Is it important?’ Kate asked.
‘It sure is. Back in the dim dark ages of investigation Quincy matched soil samples from a shoe I’d taken from a suspect to put him at the scene of the crime who denied he’d been there.’
‘Yeah – that happened in your day. Today we have DNA. Hopefully after tomorrow we’ll have a match and can go on from there.’
‘Kate – I hate to sound I’m always thinking about the ole days but I always found the more evidence you have to convince a jury – the better the investigation.’
‘I know all that. From today’s interview I’ll forecast when we discover who the missing person is – Denis will plead guilty to murder.’
‘You’re sure of yourself, let me wash up and we’ll call it a night. What’d say?’
‘This time I’ll wash up. You - off to bed and sleep tight. Goodnight.’ She lent over and kissed Bundy on the cheek, ‘thank you for today. I learnt heaps.’
Bundy retired to the second bedroom. Kate took the bottle of wine and sat on the balcony looking over her property of city lights and traffic noises. She was comfortable in her own environment.

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something from the child to match DNA.’ Bundy explained.
‘Okay – I’m getting a little ahead of myself. Larry, we’ll interview the parents. Can we have a photograph of the missing person?’ Kate asked.
‘I’ll arrange it. Wouldn’t it be better to put a number of similar photographs together including this one and show it to Denis to make certain the missing girl is the one?’ He asked.
‘You’re right Larry – we should put together a gallery of photographs including the missing girl of similar hair colouring and age; and have Denis see if he can identify the girl before we do anything else.’ Bundy shared with the other two.
‘Leave it with me. I’ll arrange a gallery and in the meantime you contact your friend Colin to arrange a time to show Denis these photographs.’ Larry told the other two.
Bundy and Kate left Larry’s office and returned to their own, ‘I’ve been thinking about Quincy’s theory. What you achieved yesterday; after we finish with Denis and this investigation’, Kate took a deep breath and continued, ‘I’ll do whatever you want – I’ll support Quincy’s theory, even though I don’t understand it - yet?’
‘Anything,’ Bundy replied with a grin on his face.
‘Yes – anything, I’ll follow Quincy’s theory after we’ve finished this one.’
‘There’s a fair way to go before we get back onto Peter Clayton’s disappearance.’ Bundy explained the process of identifying the deceased, have Denis admit this is the person who he suffocated using ‘ether’ on a cloth and how were they going to advise the parents of the loss of their daughter?
Larry telephoned to tell them the gallery was complete and ready. Bundy earlier telephoned Colin Hunt to arrange a time to meet with Denis to show him the

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gallery of photographs. Three-thirty in the afternoon was a desirable time.
When Bundy took possession of the gallery of photographs he noticed none were numbered. He numbered each one in numerical order.
At the prison later in the afternoon Bundy displayed a gallery of photographs in front of Denis, ‘Denis, would you have a close look at these photos to see if you can identify the girl you drugged.’
Denis looked at the gallery, without hesitation he pointed to photograph number six, ‘that’s her; I’ll never forget her face and those eyes.’
‘Thank you Denis, we’ll follow up this information and get back to you.’ Bundy replied.
‘Is it her?’ He asked.
‘We’re not certain – there is more investigation to do before we are completely certain ourselves. We’ll let you know as soon as we know.’
Bundy and Kate left the interview room. ‘It’s her – he pointed to her photograph, why didn’t you tell him.’ Kate asked Bundy.
‘We’re not certain until this photograph has been identified by her parents and the DNA is complete.’ Bundy explained, ‘do I need to throw a bucket of water on you to cool you off?’ He expressed taking a closer look at Kate.
‘No – I’ve never had to fuss around like this before. It’s not the way we do things now.’
‘Pray tell – how do you do it now?’ Bundy expressed. In his day he needed to cross the ‘t’s’ and dot the ‘i’s’ before the final decision was made to arrest and charge the offender.
They returned to their office, ‘Kate, we’ve got to inform the parents of this missing person. How do you want to do this?’ Bundy asked.

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‘Do we telephone them first or just rock up to their home and tell them their daughter is dead.’ Kate answered.
‘I’m satisfied with the evidence of the identity of the photograph by Denis; number six in the gallery is the same person reported in the missing person report. The address is Kippa Ring and it’s the same suburb; also this child went missing on Friday 6th October 2006. This is the same date Denis told us he’d taken the girl. I think it gives us sufficient grounds to speak with her parents. Do you want me to telephone them or should you?’ Bundy explained.
‘Do you mind if I telephoned them.’
‘Go ahead – make certain the same telephone number on the report is the same one in the phone book. We don’t want to end up with the wrong person.’ Bundy said handing Kate the local telephone directory.
Kate checked the name and address to compare the name, address and telephone number were the same telephone number in the report. She dialled the number, ‘hello, my name is Detective Superintendent Kate Emerson. I’m from the police. Would I be able to speak with either Mr or Mrs Andersen please?’ Kate spoke in a kind voice.
Kate nodded and spoke to a person. ‘It was Mrs Andersen – sounds a nice person. She’s happy to see us. I told her we’d be there in an hour. They’re waiting.’
They left the office and travelled to Kippa Ring. When they reached the address a man and woman were standing on the front steps. Both looked at Kate and Bundy in the hope they had good news, or any news about their daughter.
‘How are you? I’m Kate Emerson and this is Bundy Quicksilver. Can we come inside please?’ Kate asked.
The woman smiled and said, ‘This is my husband Jim and I’m Carol, have you found our daughter?’

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‘Can we explain to you our investigations so far?’ Kate asked.
‘Yes – come on in.’ Carol beckoned both people into her home. They entered. Inside was as neat as a pin; functional as a usual family home with the entry a foyer, a lounge room, ‘and please have a seat. Would either of you like a cup of coffee or something else?’ Carol asked.
‘A coffee would be lovely, thank you Mrs Andersen; Bundy will have a tea, with milk.’ Kate replied.
‘Call me Carol – Jim can you help me please?’ Both walked to the adjoining kitchen. ‘Have you found our daughter?’ She called from the adjoining room - tears welling in his eyes, her voice broke as she spoke.
‘We don’t know at this point.’ Bundy replied, ‘perhaps if we wait before we explain what we’ve done.’ He’d experienced a similar situation many times before.
His memory rushed back to a night when a young girl, seventeen years old was killed in a traffic accident and he had the soul-searching task to tell her parents their daughter wouldn’t be coming home again. It was the worst job he ever had to do as a police officer.
Carol bought the refreshments to a table next to the lounge Bundy and Kate sat. Jim sat in a chair next to them.
‘We think from our investigations we could have found your daughter.’ Kate explained.
Carol and Jim moved forward from their seat to listen more closely. Carol gave a sigh. They couldn’t take their eyes from Kate.
‘Where do I start?’ Kate murmured, ‘at the beginning. Let me explain where our investigation has taken us over the past couple of weeks.’ She hesitated before continuing. Bundy noticed Kate was stuck for words. She looked at him with a sign – can you do this please.