Chapter 10: The Case Progresses.
Much to her amazement Poppy slept well and woke up feeling much better than she had done for days. She was already showered, dressed and eating her breakfast by the time Max appeared in the kitchen half dressed.
"You look much better!" He smiled after yawning.
"Thanks and you have got your shirt buttoned up wrong" She laughed at the shirt buttons done up at an angle, putting her bowl down to remedy the problem."There"
"What would I do without you? I like the dress I've not seen it before"
"It's new, I bought it before the break in then forgot about it" Poppy looked down at the charcoal grey suit-type dress."I'm amazed you noticed"
"Don't be so naive Poppy – I've noticed everything about you, everyday for months. I was just too much of a coward to do anything about it."
"That could sound a bit stalker like if you weren't so sweet you know!" Poppy grinned kissing his cheek. "You almost ready, we have a mammoth day ahead of us – time to shit miracles!"
"You have such a way with words!" Max laughed as he grabbed his jacket.
Otto Nowak's record was clean, he appeared to be an upstanding member of the community. Poppy had removed her shoes and was sat on the floor sifting through all the files again, while Max drew up a list of all the officers involved in the investigation; hoping it would not be needed.
"Right I've checked everything twice, there is absolutely nothing about any email, or Otto being potentially linked to Adler – he was never considered to be a suspect. Ryan Ackroyd's name doesn't even appear anywhere as having known Fred." Poppy concluded.
"It's not looking good. I think we might have to start looking at the likelihood that someone lost the email on purpose because they were paid to." Max rubbed his face
"Question is by Adler or Otto?"
"I don't know, we need those financial records I want to look at his bank accounts to get a clearer idea."
"They should be here soon!"
"Right take five then, we've earned it. What are you going to do about the ring have you decided." Max questioned
"Yeah – I sent a mutual friend a text earlier and he's given me Adam's address, I'm just going to send it back. Hopefully that will give him the message." Poppy explained as she stood up. Jack walked in to the meeting room they were using.
"Anything?" He questioned.
"It looks like we could have a problem Sir, there is no mention of any email or Ryan at all." Poppy informed him.
"I'll get onto internal investigations then and report it."
"Hang on – if you do that and they approach someone before we have chance to look over all the information we have about Otto Nowak they could warn him."
"Good point, let me know when you think it's best – we can't sit on this for too long though." He turned to leave then turned to Poppy "You know there's a sergeant's position coming up soon – you passed your exam a while ago now. I really think you should apply for it." With a nod he left.
"Well" Max broke the silence
"Well what?"
"Are you going to apply for the promotion?"
"I don't know if I'm ready yet" Poppy floundered
"You are more than ready. You could be doing my job, if we are honest!" Max assured her. "I know that you have a lot going on, but if you keep putting it off then when are you ever going to do it. You need something positive to look forward to everyone will be behind you."
"I thought you were my something positive." Poppy grinned, knowing he was telling the truth "Looks like I'd better get an application form then."
Max and Poppy were waiting for the financial statements when they arrived and dove straight into them. Max finished his first.
"Great nothing!"
"Wait, I might have something – look. Every couple of months a fairly large cash deposit goes into this account, then on the very same day it all goes out. It's transferred into two separate Polish bank accounts. But there's nothing to say that it comes from anything illegal – just nothing to say where it comes from at all." Poppy pointed out the payments.
"The deposits are all over ten thousand pounds though – that's a lot of money to have to deposit in cash that regularly. What does he do again?"
"He's an architect. He owns his own business, there are just three architects and a admin women."
"Could he be turning over that amount every month doing that, I have no idea how much they earn." Max looked confused, as if he dared to admit they could have a strong lead at last.
"I'm not sure, but this is being paid into his personal accounts, no amounts matching these are being withdrawn from his company accounts." Poppy explained as he leant over her to get a better look, she inhaled his aftershave and half smiled.
"My god we could actually have something. Let's check his phone records"
Another two hours and numerous cups of coffee later they had analysed Otto Nowak's phone records. Max had highlighted a mobile number that appeared frequently, Poppy had found the same number in her share of the data. She replaced her desk phone back into its cradle.
"Unregistered mobile – shock horror."She summarised.
"Right I'll call it" Max decided assertively, Poppy had her head against his as she listened to the ringing tone, finally as Max was about to give up someone answered.
"Yes" A gruff and unmistakable voice answered.
"John is that you?" Max disguised his voice a little.
"No you've got the wrong number!" The voice answered before the call was ended. Poppy's heart was beating so hard in her chest she was sure Max must be able to hear it. He looked at her, wanting her to confirm his thoughts.
"It was him, it was Adler!" She gasped, Max grabbed her and hugged her excitedly, finally the case was opening up in front of them.
Poppy's own phone rang, she answered it then looked at Max in surprise
"Ok I'll be over soon, thank you for letting us know." She scribbled an address down then grinned at her partner. "That was Ryan Ackroyd, it seems that Fred left some things at his flat after he left for Thailand, Ryan says there are some photos of Otto with another man. We should get round there."
Ryan Ackroyd answered his front door in jeans and a t-shirt, standing aside to let them both in.
"I only found them a couple of hours ago, I've put it all on the dining table. Fred had a key so he could keep an eye on the place you see." He explained.
Max picked up the small pile of photographs, they weren't very good, but they were clear enough. Otto Nowak could easily be seen taking a small parcel from Raymond Adler. He grinned at Poppy
"So we now have the bank transfers, regular phone conversations and these photos;"
"Now we arrest Adler right?" Poppy asked a smile touching the corners of her mouth
"Now we arrest him, but this time I want a uniform team with us and we rip his places apart. I'll get on to the boss, get a search warrant."
The couple were sat in the car a discreet distance away from Adler's garage waiting for their uniform support to arrive.
"I've been thinking, about my house" Poppy broke the endless silence.
"What about it?"
"I'm never going to be completely comfortable being there anymore, so I've decided to put it on the market – make a clean break, a fresh start."
"How fresh and clean?" Max questioned
"I only mean the house – you don't get away that easily. The thing is" She paused nervously "We've virtually been living together anyway, and I can't really imagine not living with you anymore" Poppy left the comment hanging.
"Is that some kind of nervous invitation?" Max couldn't hide the happy smile that lit up his face
"Yes – ok, fine, Max would you like to move in with me?" Then the fear crept in "I mean if you don't then it's absolutely fine, I know everything has been a bit full on and you'd be diving in at the deep end." He grabbed her hand.
"Poppy Calder I would love nothing more than to move in with you! And I don't care, I'm a good swimmer" Max leant over and kissed her softly.
The two detectives marched into the garage with the uniformed officers a few paces behind them. Adler looked up from the car he was assessing and glared at them.
"Look you had your chance and you couldn't prove anything – give up or I'll be calling my solicitor." He snarled menacingly.
"New evidence has come to light Mr Adler, so we need another chat." Max explained calmly as the suspect stepped forward slightly, his eyes narrowing.
"You won't have found anything, because I had nothing to do with it"
"Really? So it isn't a phone that belongs to you that another of our chief suspects called so frequently just before the murder then." Max questioned.
"No cus' like I said I had nothing to do with it" Adler again insisted, as he watched Poppy take out her phone and dial one of the numbers saved in the phone book.
"Let's see shall we?" Max grinned and nodded to Poppy, a few seconds later a cheesy ringtone began to play and Adler's left pocket started to vibrate. "Well would you look at that. Ok guys, arrest him and I want every inch of this place and his house searched."
The search turned up several bundles of cash, adding up to nearly thirty thousand pounds, along with four unregistered mobile phones and numerous fake documents and passports. Even if they couldn't prove Adler's part in the murder of Fred Nowak, he was going to prison for a substantial period of time.
As in his previous interviews Adler constantly insisted that he either had no idea what they were talking about or that he had no comment to make. After three unsuccessful hours, Max decided to try the shock tactics and produced the photos they had found at Ryan's flat, before sending Adler to the cells without asking another question.
"Right so we leave him to stew and then first thing in the morning we pick Otto up – unnerve him. I'll brief uniform on the timings and then I need to have a quick word with the Guv, then we can get home"
"If you don't need me why don't I go on ahead, we need some food so I'll nip to the supermarket first and put some dinner on" Poppy suggested rubbing Max's arm, he looked tired.
"You are an angel, will you be alright going back to the house on your own?"
"Sure."
"Ok, I'll text you when I leave here – shouldn't take me too long." Max assured her as he turned away.