“What else could I do? The boys only keep together because of Tootsie. If Tootsie went, they’d rat.”
“I know.”
There was a long silence.
“Listen, Jean, you don’t think?”
“I don’t think anything, but you and me’ve got to look after ourselves, haven’t we?”
“Well, yes, I guess that’s so, but nothing’s going to happen to Tootsie. I know nothing will happen to Tootsie.”
Jean smiled again. “I’m glad to hear you say so,” she said, and hung up. She lay thinking for a long time, then she picked up the telephone and called a number.
Someone asked roughly what she wanted.
“I want to speak to Raven,” she said softly. “Yes, tell him it’s Jean Mendetta. Yes, he’ll speak to me all right,” and she lay back, an amused smile on her mouth, waiting for Raven to come to the phone.