As if by Magic by Kerry Wilkinson Page A

handle and using the heat to warm her hands.
    ‘Do you know anyone who might have wanted to hurt him? Jessica asked delicately.
    Helga shook her head. ‘No, he’s never been in trouble. We grew up together.’
    ‘So you’ve been together for a while?’
    ‘Since school. I think we first met when were about nine or ten. We used to hang around like you do when you’re that age. You’re sort of boyfriend and girlfriend, even though you’re too young to understand what that actually means.’
    Jessica nodded, remembering her own time in school. There was a boy called James Nurse who she tormented for about three years when they were the similar age. His Dad got a new job out of the area and they moved away during the summer holiday. She never got the chance to tell him that the reason she was so annoying was because she really liked him.
    ‘So how long have you been married?’
    Helga counted on her fingers. ‘I’m thirty two, so eleven years now. We were going out for around three years before that, so we’ve been together for ages...’ she tailed off and Jessica could see a bob in her throat as she reached across and ripped off a piece of kitchen roll to dab her eyes. ‘I don’t really understand...’
    Reynolds came back in with an apology and a needless point towards his phone.
    ‘That’s why we need to check these things with you,’ Jessica said. ‘The more you can tell us, the more chance we have of being able to find out what was happening.’
    ‘I’m sorry but we do have to ask this,’ Reynolds added as he sat back down. ‘But what were you doing last night?’
    ‘I had my friends over; just a few people I knew from work. We watched this rubbish, terrible movie, ate popcorn, drank wine and just talked.’
    Jessica noted the names but knew the alibi would be solid. One of the friends had even slept over, so there wouldn’t even be much of a question that Helga could have slipped out.
    As she was writing, Reynolds’ phone started to ring. He apologised and slipped back into the hallway, again leaving the two women alone.
    ‘We’ve been trying for children,’ Helga said softly, putting her mug back on the table and making eye contact with Jessica. ‘It’s something we’ve talked about for a few years but we’ve both been busy at work.’
    Jessica thought of the condom in Gordon’s wallet. At some point in the near future, Jessica strongly suspected someone may have to break it to the woman that her marriage hadn’t been as tight as she thought.
    Before she could be dragged into uncomfortable talk of babies, the door opened again and she could tell from Reynolds’ expression that something had happened. Jessica apologised and entered the hallway, the Inspector closing the door behind her.
    ‘What is it?’ Jessica whispered, although she already had a good idea of what he was going to say.
    ‘We’ve contacted all four of Gordon’s friends and guess what?’
    ‘... None of them were with him last night?’
    ‘Exactly. They say they didn’t see him after they left work in the afternoon.’
    ‘Shite... someone’s going to have to tell her. She’s going to be devastated.’ Jessica looked up to see the whites of Reynolds’ eyes wide with expectation. ‘All right, fine,’ Jessica added, before opening the door and walking back into the kitchen, ready to tell Helga that her husband was a liar.

TWELVE
    Jessica leaned back in the seat and rolled her eyes. ‘This is because I skipped that training thing, isn’t it?’
    DCI Jack Cole shook his head but his part-smile gave him away and Jessica knew the answer anyway.
    ‘You’re paranoid,’ Cole replied, as he rotated gently in the chair of his office. He had only recently been promoted and was someone Jessica had worked with very closely in the past. She trusted him completely but was very aware he knew her a little too well. He wasn’t quite fifty yet, but his hair had long-since started to grey, while the wrinkles around his eyes