Pat Ritter. Books

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'The Proposition' (A Bundy Quicksilver Mystery) - Page 129:

Mary spoke softly, guilt built as she continued to tell her story.
‘Did he introduce himself?’ Bundy asked. Fifteen years in harness racing industry he knew almost everyone who was anyone and thought he would recognise his name.
‘All I remember is a name Ralph – that’s all. He never told me his surname.’ Mary finished.
‘I’ve got to go there – can you tell us how you became pregnant.’ Kate had to ask the question.
‘Ralph invited me to the horse stalls. He was camped upstairs in the loft. I’m ashamed to say I slept with him and left early next morning.’ Mary admitted.
‘You’ve never heard or seen him since that night?’
‘No – I returned home, here to this house where I lived with mom and dad. About a month later I met Les and only four months later we married. He always thought Peter was his son.’ She cried and started to shake. Pastor Thrupp moved beside her and took hold of her trembling hands.
‘Okay – thank you for being honest. We’ll follow this information up and get back to you.’ Kate finished.
‘I think Mrs Peacock may have some important information she’d like to share also.’ Pastor Thrupp said and looked at Mrs Peacock.
‘One day when Peter visited me he asked why he didn’t look like his father. I’ve held this guilt for so long. I told him the story of how his mother got pregnant at the Brisbane Exhibition with a trotting driver by the name of Ralph. I think he may have run away from home to search for his father.’ The frail lady expressed a sigh of relief once she told her story.
‘Why would you think he run away to find his father.’ Kate inquired.
‘He wanted to know more but I couldn’t tell him anything other than what Mary had told me.’

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'The Proposition' (A Bundy Quicksilver Mystery) - Page 130:

‘Is there anything else either of you can tell us?’ Kate asked.
Both persons said ‘No.’
Kate and Bundy left after saying farewell.

Chapter 16

‘Okay, Miss Detective Kate – what do we do now?’ Bundy asked when they drove away from the house. His mind buzzed with this latest development.
‘This is probably the first true lead I’ve had since I began this investigation. We have a name ‘Ralph’; he is or was associated with trotting at the Brisbane Exhibition – twenty-two years ago. I suppose we go to Trotting Headquarters to inquire about a driver named ‘Ralph’. What do you think – you’re the one who’s been in harness racing?’ Kate stated.
‘I’ve got a better idea – let’s go to the original source and see who this person Ralph is.’ Bundy replied.
‘Where is this source?’ She asked in an inquisitive voice.
‘Brisbane Exhibition grounds – I know the General Manager, Norm Thompson, he’s an old mate of mine – he’ll help us.’
‘Is there anyone you don’t know?’
‘Norm’s a great guy, if there was a driver named Ralph - twenty-two years ago; he’d know or know where to find him.’
‘1990 – its twenty-two years ago this month,’ Kate said.
‘Have I told you how much improvement you’ve made since we’ve been working together? You worked it out in your mind without using your mobile phone.’
‘Yeah, well, I’m not stupid, I can add and subtract. I’m very educated if you must know.’

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'The Proposition' (A Bundy Quicksilver Mystery) - Page 131:

‘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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'The Proposition' (A Bundy Quicksilver Mystery) - Page 132:

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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'The Proposition' (A Bundy Quicksilver Mystery) - Page 133:

‘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' (A Bundy Quicksilver Mystery) - Page 134:

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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'The Proposition' (A Bundy Quicksilver Mystery) - Page 135:

‘We think so – the only name ‘Ralph’ for 1990 was a fellow named Ralph Petersen who won a race.’ Bundy showed Norm the entry form.
‘I’ll photocopy this form and you can take it with you.’ Norm went to the photocopy machine pushed a button and a copy of the form was ready for Bundy and Kate. ‘I’ll keep the original. Where did you leave the box?’ Norm asked.
‘It’s on top of the other boxes – marked 1990. Do you want me to replace it before we leave?’ Bundy asked.
‘No – I’ll get Joe to do it. You remember being my assistant. Joe does what you used to do when you were here.’ Norm said with a smile.
‘Norm - thanks for your help. It means a lot. I was hoping to show Kate the stable area before we leave if it’s alright with you.’ Bundy asked.
‘Go for your life, you know where to go. Don’t be quite a stranger next time, you also Kate. Let me know how you get on finding this fellow.’ They shook hands and left Norm’s office.
Bundy and Kate drove to the stabling area on the top side of the show grounds and parked. They walked into the stables. Bundy pointed to lofts above each stable which housed competitors whilst they stayed for the period at the show. Smell of horse manure and straw filled his nostrils. Wonderful memories returned through his senses to form visions in his mind of his wife training horses. He remembered cleaning each stable by ranking the wet sawdust and manure while she trained the horses, the joy of winning a race, few as they were. They did it together. Tears welled in his eyes.
‘One of those lofts was the place where Mary had her fling. I hope this is the right ‘Ralph’’. Bundy said and felt his throat thicken. They returned to their vehicle.

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