Free Never Say Goodbye by Susan Lewis

quieter ones who, like Josie and Lily, knew to keep their heads down for fear of being picked on for no reason, which could happen right out of nowhere.
    ‘Did you bring the calendar?’ Josie whispered as they opened their bags ready to load them on to the scanner.
    ‘Yeah, it’s here,’ Lily replied, pulling it out of her backpack. ‘I didn’t wrap it, like you said, but I brought some paper and sticky tape just in case we can do it once we’re through. It’ll be nice for him to have a surprise to open on Christmas Day.’
    ‘Great minds,’ Josie smiled. ‘I’ve brought some paper and sticky tape too. Did you think to bring any labels?’
    ‘No, but I’ve got a pen so we can write on the wrapping. What did you get him in the end?’
    ‘I found a copy of Beckham’s autobiography in really good nick at the Book End Store on Fairley Avenue, so that and a three-pack of socks. Nan tried to get me to bring a girlie magazine from her, but I swapped it for a copy of
Shoot
when she wasn’t looking.’
    Lily giggled. ‘She’s a riot. Is she coming on Christmas Day?’
    ‘Presumably, unless she gets a better offer. You know what she’s like.’
    ‘And what about Grandpa Clark, is he coming?’
    ‘As far as I know Dad’s picking him up on Christmas morning, same as usual. We got the tree down from the attic last night, trouble is we haven’t managed to find the ornaments yet so it’s still standing there as bare as Mother Hubbard’s cupboard. I just hope they didn’t get thrown out by mistake last year when we packed everything up, or we’ll have to go without.’
    ‘What about lights?’
    ‘It’s pre-lit, so that’s OK. I expect Jasper’s family have a real tree, don’t they?’
    ‘I’m not sure, but probably.’
    ‘Bit posh, are they, Jasper’s family?’ the woman behind them cut in. ‘What kind of bloody name’s that when it’s at home?’ she shouted for anyone to hear. ‘Jasper! I ask you. Sounds like a bloody cat to me.’
    Easing herself between Lily and the woman, Josie was preparing to follow Lily through to the other side of the scanner when a siren suddenly began wailing fit to deafen them all.
    ‘OK, ladies and gentlemen, step back into the reception please,’ an officer shouted above the din.
    ‘What the bloody hell?’ the woman behind them growled.
    ‘What’s going on?’ someone else demanded.
    ‘All right, you don’t have to push!’ an angry old woman snapped.
    ‘There aren’t going to be any visits today,’ the officer informed them.
    ‘What?’ Josie cried in alarm, along with several others. ‘Why not? What’s happening?’
    ‘We’ve got a security breach,’ the officer replied, still ushering the crowd back to the door.
    ‘But how?’ she protested. ‘No one did anything . . .’
    ‘Not here, in the prison,’ he explained. ‘Now, pick up your belongings, those of you who’ve put them on the scanner, make sure you don’t leave anything behind or you’ll lose it.’
    ‘But we’ve got Christmas presents,’ Lily objected. ‘This is our last chance. If we can’t give them now, they’ll have to go without.’
    Ignoring her, the officer said, ‘That’s it, folks, time to go home.’
    ‘You can’t do this,’ a balding man in a smart parka coat informed him hotly. ‘Prisoners have rights too and . . .’
    ‘Take it up with your MP,’ the officer interrupted.
    ‘Please will you take this to my son,’ Josie implored. ‘It’s just a book. It can’t do any harm. His name’s Ryan Clark . . .’
    ‘Sorry, Mrs, no can do. Now move along please, you don’t want to end up on the wrong side of the door when lockdown hits over here.’
    Minutes later, crushed, angry and perplexed, Josie and Lily were in the biting wind once more, heading for the bus stop half a mile away that offered no shelter or timetable indicating when to expect the next bus.
    ‘Poor Ryan,’ Lily murmured, as she snuggled in more tightly to her mother for warmth. There was