“No, Ratch cared too much for everyone. I remember when Effy started working. She was so naive then, but Ratch looked after her. He had me help him train her—and she learnt so fast. She was good. He started her off on some of his best clients, the ones who showed respect for all of us. He paid for protection, and had someone waiting, watching outside, just in case. And, when she was ready, he set her up with a few of the rougher clients, even though it pained him to do so. But he knew she needed to grow. She needed to understand what she was getting into. He needed to know she could handle herself.
“I remember, the first time this happened. He’d arranged the room, and he hid in a closet, ready to leap out if things got too bad. He’d never hurt a fly, but he was standing there, a club in
