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Pat Ritter. Books


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Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Sun Feb 17, 2013 10:59 pm

'The Proposition' (A Bundy Quicksilver Mystery) - Page 73:

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.
‘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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Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Mon Feb 18, 2013 10:39 pm

'The Proposition' (A Bundy Quicksilver Mystery) - Page 74:

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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Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Tue Feb 19, 2013 11:03 pm

'The Proposition' (A Bundy Quicksilver Mystery) - Page 75:

Bundy discovered when he investigated the location of these bones, a local youth had been drinking; fallen into the creek and disappeared while he was fishing. He’d been reported missing but at the time it was thought he’d left the area. Another case closed.
Bundy thought this one was a little different to compare with the other two investigations thirty years before. Many things had changed, one being the media. Sound of helicopters circled above, reporters with television cameras stood waiting to interview Detective Superintendent Smiles or any other officer who would give them a story to broadcast over the airways.
‘Don’t you think we should go and tell Mary about finding a skeleton not far from her home? When she sees anything about this find on television or hears on the radio, she’ll have kittens.’ Bundy asked Kate.
‘Yeah – we better, I’ll tell Larry we’ll be back soon.’ Kate left to speak with Detective Superintendent Smiles.
After Kate and Bundy left the crime scene Kate said, ‘I’d better phone to see if she’s home.’ She parked the vehicle off to the side of the road; extracted her mobile telephone from her trouser pocket, opened the flap and punched in some numbers. Sound of a ringing telephone echoed in the vehicle.
‘Mary – is that you, Kate here, will you be home, Bundy and I want to speak with you. It’s quite urgent.’
Kate nodded her head as if in agreement with the caller, said her farewell and closed her phone.
‘She’ll put the kettle on.’ Kate informed Bundy.
Parking the vehicle at the front of Mary’s home she waited at her front steps, ‘what’s so important you’ve got to speak with me, have you found Peter?’ Mary had tears in her eyes.

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Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Wed Feb 20, 2013 10:49 pm

'The Proposition' (A Bundy Quicksilver Mystery) - Page 76:

‘May we come inside please Mary?’ Bundy asked in a soft and kind voice.
‘By all means, the kettle is on, I’ll make us a lovely cup-of-tea.’ She beckoned both inside her home. They sat at the dining room table.
‘What’s this all about?’ Mary asked determined to find out if they’d found her son dead or alive.
‘We’re not positive,’ Kate interrupted, ‘skeleton bones have been found in a shallow grave not far from here in the forestry.’ Kate concluded. She stretched her hand across the table and held Mary’s hand tight.
Tears welled in Mary’s eyes, ‘skeleton – found – in – forestry,’ she muttered. ‘Are they Peter’s?’ She cried.
‘We won’t know until a DNA test has been completed by the forensic people.’ Kate answered softly still holding Mary’s hand and looked directly into her eyes.
‘Didn’t you take some of Peter’s hair and clothes to be tested?’ Mary asked, sitting upright and staring into Kate’s face for an answer.
‘Yes, we did. Those samples you gave us we took to Bundy’s friend, Quincy Simpson, who was a forensic scientist and is now retired.’
‘Why can’t he examine the remains?’ Mary implied.
‘Because he’s no longer a forensic scientist working in the field, he’s retired.’ Kate whispered loud enough Mary could hear her clearly.
‘This is stupid. What does it matter who examines the bones? If the skeleton is Peter’s; my mind will at least be put to rest after all this time. What if they aren’t Peter’s bones?’ She asked still holding onto Kate’s hand now with both her hands clasped together around Kate’s fingers.
‘You’ll be the first to know.’ Kate’s eyes developed tears, she looked into Mary’s eyes to see the hurt she didn’t mean to place upon her, but she needed to tell her about the

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Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Thu Feb 21, 2013 11:51 pm

'The Proposition' (A Bundy Quicksilver Mystery) - Page 77:

recent discovery just in case the skeleton was her son, Peter Clayton.
‘Mary,’ Bundy spoke, ‘the reason we wanted to tell you first about the discovery of the skeleton is because it was only discovered by a forestry worker this morning. Before we knew anything - the media, television and radio, had descended upon the crime scene. We wanted you to know about the discovery from us instead of first hearing or seeing it on television.’ Bundy explained.
Mary loosened her grip on Kate’s hand, sat upright, ‘these bones mightn’t belong to Peter. He could still be alive. As his mother, I feel he is still alive but I don’t know where. I dream about him most nights and many times I’ve spoken with him and he tells me he still loves me. I don’t know if I’m going bananas or anything like that but I still think he’s alive.’ She finished and looked both Kate and Bundy directly into their eyes.
Bundy felt the hurt she was feeling, how a mother could suffer through these years not knowing if her son was alive or dead. Mothers know these things better than anyone else. If she thinks he’s still alive – that’s great because there is hope.
All through his working life as a detective Bundy had never came across anything like this present investigation. Was he becoming too old for this type of emotional torture?
They said their farewells and promised to keep Mary informed about the identity of the bones and returned to the crime scene.
Larry walked toward them when they alighted from the vehicle, ‘Doctor Fitzgerald, Forensic Pathologist is here to examine the remains. I haven’t spoken with him but I will as soon as he’s finished his examination.’
‘We’ll wait.’ Kate replied in an authority’s voice. Her eyes now dry but her heart ached for Mary. She had to

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Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Fri Feb 22, 2013 10:09 pm

Thank you Nevis for your kind words of encouragement. Here is the page for today. Pleased you're enjoying the read:
'The Proposition' (A Bundy Quicksilver Mystery) - Page 78:

know if the bones were Peter Clayton or else she would go out of her mind. This could be the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Detective Superintendent Larry Smiles was interviewed by news crews at the crime scene and explained a forestry worker earlier in the day located a skeleton in a shallow grave when he was spraying poisonous weeds. If anyone had any information of a missing person, please call their nearest police station or Crimestoppers.
In the meantime Kate and Bundy surveyed the area for anything which didn’t look right. Kate’s mind was filled with anger and frustration thinking a twelve year old boy could have met his death this way. She needed to find the truth.
After Bundy heard Detective Superintendent Smiles tell the media to contact Crimestoppers, his mind flicked back to 1989. It was a Friday afternoon, he was seated at his desk in front of his computer when his boss said, ‘you used to be a detective – didn’t you?’
Bundy remembered he acknowledged his boss he was, ‘then go to the Inspector at Neighbourhood Watch, he wants to see you about establishing a new programme – I think it’s called Crimestoppers. He’s waiting for you. I recommended you for the job.’
After all this time, Bundy’s thoughts still contained the adrenalin rush of excitement as if it happened yesterday. He remembered visiting the Inspector whose short conversation, ‘here is a video tape of the programme from America. Be here Monday morning to set it up.’
After he arrived home he placed the video into the recorder and watched the birth of Crimestoppers in America. Bundy felt his pulse race – how did he get this opportunity to establish this programme in Queensland?

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Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Sat Feb 23, 2013 10:14 pm

'The Proposition' (A Bundy Quicksilver Mystery) - Page 79:

Chapter 10

Monday morning couldn’t arrive quickly enough. This was an opportunity in reaching the top of the mountain after twenty years of hard work – this was his reward. At the time, to establish Crimestoppers was a hot potato for the government of the day. Bundy remembered meeting the Police Minister the following morning to explain his proposal on how he was going to establish the programme.
Victorian Police were the first in Australia to establish ‘Crimestoppers’ which took two years from start to launch date. New South Wales Police were the next to introduce the programme which took eighteen months; Bundy explained to The Minister it would take six months for Queensland to have the programme operational.
‘Unfortunately I haven’t got six months’; The Minister wanted it completed in three weeks. Bundy’s jaw dropped almost to the floor to consider this option.
‘If you cut the red tape – leave me to it, I’ll have it done in three weeks,’ he proclaimed.
It was official; true to his word The Minister of Police cut the red tape to have Crimestoppers operational within three weeks without interference. Bundy received all he needed to complete his task within the prescribed time limit. He remembered working from daylight until dark designing computer programmes, training staff, preparing reports, working with television producers, and finally after three weeks Crimestoppers was alive and ready to go.
Crimestoppers was a one-stop shop to report any criminal activity in Queensland. The programme was simple. A caller telephoned a central number, each caller provided with a unique code number, information recorded on the computer; later dispatched to the appropriate police area for investigation.

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