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After dealing with his emails, he turned his focus to the mole. Thanks to McHugh’s idiocy, he probably wouldn’t notice Garrett poking around in their network. Garrett didn’t have Riley’s hacking skills, but he could do background checks and evaluate finances, so he started there.

After pulling up one of his cases on the screen so he could shift to it if anyone approached his desk, he started running down intel on all his coworkers. He started with Campisi so he could officially rule him out. His finances didn’t show any suspicious deposits or transactions, and most of his savings were funneled into a college fund for his daughter. Garrett also discovered Campisi’s wife had a bigger addiction to romance novels than he originally thought, most of her expenses going toward that or the baby, but otherwise nothing there surprised Garrett. He breathed a sigh of relief. Now he could count on Campisi if he needed his help later. The guy was reliable and loyal to a fault.

Garrett decided to look into Jay next, since he trusted him the least. The guy’s ears must have been ringing in response to Garrett’s thoughts, because he annoyingly popped up in front of his desk. Garrett switched his screen to his case notes before paying him any attention.

When his eyes met Wilson’s, Garrett could tell he was in douche-mode and not here for anything important.

“Wilson,” Garrett said, nodding at him and turning his focus to his computer.

“Gar-bear, I need you to settle an argument for me.”

Keeping his eyes on the screen, Garrett muttered, “What argument?”

He ignored the dumb nickname, knowing it would only encourage Wilson to keep poking at him.

The guy annoyingly sat on the edge of his desk, knocking over his pen cup. Garrett righted it and returned his eyes to his notes.

“If a gay guy says he’s a woman who likes men, he’s still gay, right? Or does that make him straight?”

Garrett sighed and faced Wilson. He understood the foundation of the confusion, but there were still so many things wrong with his question. This was the kind of thing Wilson liked to do. If he asked a question, he said he didn’t realize his mistakes because of his ignorance on the subject, hence asking the question in the first place. Not that McHugh ever took complaints about Wilson seriously.

“Why are you asking me this?” Garrett said instead of answering.

“’Cause you’re an equal opportunity fucker so that makes you the expert. Of everyone in this room, anyway.”

An equal opportunity fucker. Lovely.

Weird way to describe his pansexuality, but technically Wilson wasn’t wrong. He was just a douche.

Wilson had an irritating smirk on his face as he looked down his pointy nose at Garrett with condescension.

“Ignoring everything wrong with your question, no, that does not make me an expert on gender identity and sexuality. Just because someone is in the LGBTQ+ community doesn’t make them an expert on the rest of the community. Just like you being a douchebag doesn’t make you an expert on cleansing techniques. I suggest you use the internet to find your answer instead of bothering me while I’m trying to work.”

Wilson clutched his chest mockingly.

“Ouch, you’re hitting me where it hurts, Pearson. It was only a question. No need to be so sensitive about it.”

“I’m educating you, which is supposedly what you were asking for,” Garrett said as he turned his focus to the computer. His phone buzzed where it lay upside down on his desk. Grabbing it so Wilson couldn’t see his screen, he was surprised to find a message from Rafe. Garrett saved Rafe’s number in his phone under Cole D, so he could say it was one of his gym friends if anyone ever caught the info on his screen. The real Cole was listed under Cole Durbin. He couldn’t be too careful when investigating his coworkers.

COLE D: Taking a trip to the grocery store so I can cook you dinner tonight as a thank you for everything. Any new food preferences I should know about?

GARRETT: You don’t have to do that.

COLE D:: I know I don’t, but I want to. Plus, I have skills I wanna show off.

GARRETT: Haha, fine, if you insist. I won’t ever say no to a home-cooked meal. Just nothing with zucchini. Can’t stand the taste.

COLE D:: Got it. Zucchini will only be used for after-dinner activities. GARRETT: Jfc. I don’t wanna know.

“Damn, who’s got you grinning like that?” Wilson asked, knocking the smile right off Garrett’s face. “One of those equal opportunities making you catch feelings?”

Garrett scowled. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s just one of my friends.”

“When are you gonna let me be one of your friends?”

“When you get a personality transplant,” Garrett deadpanned.

Campisi snorted, then hid behind his computer screen when Wilson turned his way. The condescension hadn’t left Jay’s face when he turned to Garrett.