As if by Magic by Kerry Wilkinson

licence.
    ‘Jase,’ Jessica said, pointing him towards what she had found.
    Reynolds peered inside and nodded as Jessica handed him back the wallet. ‘You don’t see too many married men carrying condoms around in their wallets,’ he said.
    ‘It’s this sort of area,’ Jessica said, looking at their surroundings. ‘Dirty, dark back alley a few minutes away from the pubs. If you haven’t got the money for a hotel room, or don’t want your missus seeing something she shouldn’t on a credit card statement, this is the kind of place you might go to.’
    She looked over to see Reynolds staring at her, eyebrow cocked. ‘I thought you were more of a flowers and chocolates girl?’
    Jessica laughed. ‘Pizza, curry and wine maybe, but you know what I mean.’
    ‘Pizza and curry? Talk about high-maintenance.’ Reynolds’ phone sounded and he took the call before quickly hanging up. ‘Okay, we’ve got the details. There’s definitely a wife.’
    ‘Who’s doing what?’
    ‘Jack’s organising everyone at the station and we’ve already got people going through the CCTV to see if we can spot him. We can head out to see her.’
    ‘I’ve still got the boy wonder in the car.’
    ‘Dave? Why didn’t he come over?’
    Jessica rolled her eyes. ‘He didn’t want to pay for parking, so he’s waiting on the street just in case a traffic warden comes along.’
    ‘But he’d be on official business...’
    ‘Yeah, tell him that. He’s still banging on about a fiver he reckons I owe him for parking a few weeks ago. I’ve told him that if he cut down on the amount of gel he uses to spike his hair, he wouldn’t be so bothered about a few quid.’
    Reynolds shook his head. ‘You two are like a squabbling brother and sister. Either way, send him back to Longsight and we’ll head off to Denton.’
    * * * * * * * * * * * * *
    As Reynolds broke the news about what had happened to her husband, Jessica watched Helga Imrie’s reaction closely but there was no subtlety about the woman’s confusion.
    ‘My Gordon?’ she said.
    ‘I’m afraid so.’ Reynolds replied.
    ‘But he was out with his friends...’
    As the truth slowly begun to dawn upon her, the woman’s reaction quickly turned into a stunned acceptance. She invited them in and insisted on putting the kettle on.
    Jessica knew death knocks could go many different ways; some people could not control their grief and went to pieces, others took the news as calmly as if you had told them the milk in their fridge was off. Most were somewhere in between. Although Helga was definitely closer to the “calm” end of the scale, Jessica could see a blankness of disbelief in her eyes, even as she started to fuss over drying up the mugs on the draining board.
    ‘I’m sorry but we really could do with asking you a few questions,’ Reynolds said from the kitchen table as Helga hunted through the cupboards looking for the teabags. She was quite close to Jessica in age but a little shorter, with cropped dark brown hair.
    ‘That’s okay...’
    ‘You said he was out with friends. Does he often stay out for the night?’
    Helga pulled a box of tea bags out from an overhead cupboard and crossed to the counter-top where the kettle was. ‘Sometimes. He goes out with his mates from work on a regular night each fortnight and they often end up staying at one of their houses. One of Gordon’s friends has a flat in the centre, so it’s easier than getting a taxi back.’
    ‘And you don’t mind?’
    ‘It saves me getting up at three in the morning because he can’t fit his key in the lock, doesn’t it?’
    ‘Do you know the names of the friends he was out with?’ Jessica asked.
    The kettle clicked off and Helga began pouring water into each of the mugs before giving them the names of four people.
    Reynolds excused himself to call the names into the station, leaving the two women alone in the kitchen. Helga wrapped her palm around the mug, looping her fingers through the