Free No Escape by Josephine Bell

because I used to know Sheila Burgess.”
    Toni’s face changed, or rather it tightened and grew even more blank than before. Jane watched her. The makeup was nearly perfect if you liked that heavy kind, which she herself did not. It must be useful, though, she thought. It effectively prevented any slight change of expression. And from a distance made a pretty picture. But not from near to and not when you could see the eyes looking out from their black rims and green lids with uncontrolled surprised anxiety.
    It was Tom who spoke.
    â€œYou’re very welcome,” he said heartily. “Any friend of poor little Sheila—” He let his voice sink to a whisper in Jane’s ear. “I’d like a word with you later on, if I may. Mustn’t spoil the party just now. Wait till they push off.”
    Jane nodded. She had not wanted to embarrass anyone. Tom’s reaction to her mild reference to Sheila surprised her. She did not know now what to say except to murmur that Gerry had brought her, would he taking her back and she wasn’t sure how long—
    â€œHe’ll want to stay,” Tom finished for her. “That’ll be for you to dictate, won’t it? Toni always makes the going for me.”
    â€œBut I only met Gerry today,” Jane said, stiffly.
    Tom took no notice of this, but moved away with a bottle in each hand, filling glasses as he went. As soon as he was out of earshot, which was almost at once because the noise in the room had reached shouting pitch, Toni pressed nearer to Jane and leaning forward to speak into her ear, much as Tom had done, she said, “How is she?”
    â€œSheila, d’you mean?” Jane said in a raised voice.
    â€œHush! Don’t shout, for God’s sake! Yes, the poor kid.”
    â€œBetter. Much better, I think.”
    Toni nodded, but leaned forward again.
    â€œAre they going to send her away? They ought to, they must do, mustn’t they?”
    â€œD’you mean to a mental hospital?”
    â€œThat’s right. She’s up the wall, isn’t she? Properly up the wall.”
    Jane drew back. She had no intention of discussing Sheila in this place either with Tom or with his sympathetic wife. So she merely said, “I’m only a radiographer, I’m afraid. I don’t even meet the psychiatrists.”
    â€œBut you must know what they’re going to do with her,” Toni said in her ear. Her voice had risen from a whisper to an impatient, demanding whine that nearly deafened Jane at such short range. She began to feel resentful.
    â€œNo, I don’t,” she said. “No one is going to do anything to her or with her or for her without her consent. It’s a free country isn’t it? Up to a point, anyhow,” she added, feeling ashamed of trotting out the old cliché so glibly.
    Toni’s eyes took on a hostile glare but all she said was. “I thought you were a friend of hers,” and turned away, leaving Jane alone with a circle of backs hemming her in.
    She locked about her, desperately anxious to go home now. If these were Gerry’s friends then she had no wish to cultivate him any further. She began to move very slowly towards the door of the room. But she had not gone more than a few steps before she found Gerry at her side and saw just behind him two men who appeared to be with him.
    â€œThere you are!” Gerry shouted heartily. “Where’s Toni?”
    â€œI don’t know,” said Jane, allowing her total indifference to show in her voice. “I think I really must be getting back now.”
    â€œBut you’ve only just come!”
    One of the men behind Gerry pushed forward as he spoke with hand outstretched. “You must be Miss Wheelan. Sheila’s friend. I’m Ron Bream, her boss. Or should I say her late boss?”
    â€œYou’re late all right,” said the other newcomer, also pressing forward.
    â€œRon’s