The central open office space known as the “bullpen” was busier than usual as Garrett made his way through to get to his office. He gave a nod here and there as junior staff and assistants greeted him. 

     “Mr. Fagan,” Trevor called out from somewhere on Garrett’s right. “Mr. Fagan,” he said again excitedly as he rushed to walk alongside his superior. 

     “Hello, Trevor,” Garrett greeted but didn’t slow his steps. “What has you racing through the office and forgetting proper workspace conduct?” 

     “Sorry, sir, but have you heard?” Trevor asked anxiously.

     He had to step around a group standing near someone’s desk to keep up with Garrett. 

     “I’ve been in the file room,” Garrett replied. “What’s going on?” 

     “If you have something for the file room, Mr. Fagan, I can return it for you,” Trevor offered. 

     Garrett stopped and shook his head with a loud huff. 

     “Is being my lacky more important than what it is you rushed over to tell me?” he asked with an impatient gaze. 

     “Oh, no, sir,” Trevor answered. “I mean, I’m happy to assist you anytime you need it, sir, but I mean what I have to say is important.” 

     “Out with it,” Garrett sharply ordered. 

     Doug pushed through others trying to move around the pair of men and answered, “We caught a ring leader in the X-Strain case.” He laughed out loud when Trevor’s shoulders fell. “You were taking too long and my brother isn’t known for his patience.” 

     “Ring leader?” wondered Garrett, ignoring the dejected look on the young intern. 

     “He’s pretty cute, too,” Melissa blurted as she and the two women from that morning joined them. “You’d never suspect him of being a drug dealer.” 

     “I wouldn’t call a ring leader a ‘drug dealer,’ Miss Smith,” Doug teased. “It implies a scruffy, unkempt person hanging out on street corners and dirty parts of town. This man is known for his high class living.” 

     “In my office,” Garrett told his brother and turned to continue on his original path.

     “Mr. Fagan,” he heard a woman call out and knew by the high-pitched childish tone that it was Monique. He continued without stopping. “I heard you met Fawn.” 

     Remembering what Mr. Pinkerton had told him about the office women’s treatment of her, he turned to hear what she had to say. 

     “She’s something, isn’t she?” Monique said with a snobbish giggle. 

     “I heard she almost didn’t let him into the vault,” grinned Laura with a look at Doug. 

     Garrett glared at his brother for participating in gossip before responding. “She was doing her job. If anyone has a problem with tighter security, they should come see me so we can discuss it. I can run a new background check to determine why our company’s security measures seem to be an inconvenience for you.” 

     He spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear, then glared at the three women before leaving again for his office. 

     Doug followed him inside as soon as they reached the door, keeping Trevor out to ensure their privacy. 

     “Sorry,” he told Garrett on the way to the desk. “She looks at me with those eyes, and I can’t help but speak.” 

     Garrett sat at his desk and opened his computer to look at the bulletin going around the office about the arrest. 

     “Are you a dog?” he asked dryly.

     Doug cleared his throat as he sat across from him. “Mr. Pinkerton spoke to you, didn’t he. I can’t imagine you letting go of that attitude she gave you yesterday if he hadn’t. Did he tell you how they met?” 

     “He did,” Garrett replied, his eyes steadily perusing the memo. “He, also, told me how she’s treated. I didn’t expect you to be part of it.”

     “Now, wait, little brother, I would never do something like that,” Doug defended himself. “Your encounter with her was funny to me, is all. She’s the first person I’ve met who doesn’t seem afraid of you or even impressed.” 

     “It doesn’t matter. He’ll handle it his way,” Garrett replied. “Why didn’t you tell me he had a stroke?” he asked as he turned in his chair to face him. 

     “He threatened to fire me if I did,” Doug answered. “I wouldn’t have, anyway. You were on a dangerous mission. You didn’t need that weighing on your mind.” 

     Garrett glanced at the screen before he closed out the tab. 

     “That isn’t a leader, by the way,” he said of the person who was caught. “I’d say nothing more than a runner, which is a glorified mule. A good one, I’ll give him that if he’s making enough to live the high life, but he isn’t leading anyone. He’s a follower.”

     Doug gave a soft chuckle. “How do you do that? You just looked over the report, have never met this guy, and you know all this. I’m not doubting you, of course. I’m wise enough to know not to. I’m curious how you know right away he isn’t a leader.” 

     He watched Garrett reach into a humidor on his desk and pull out a cigar. He shook his head when one was offered to him and watched Garrett snip off the end and light it before speaking. 

     “They all have the same arrogant look,” Garrett finally answered. “Leaders know some semblance of caution. They know someone’s always watching, always waiting to catch them doing something they ought not be doing.

     The low rats are worse than that. They’re always shaking, even when they think they’re cool as a cucumber. They know if they get caught, they’re going down for everything alone. Then they’ll die somewhere between their arrest and the courthouse because they’ll never be allowed to speak. 

     Guys like this,” he said with a nod of his head toward the computer monitor, “think they have it all figured out. They aren’t at the bottom rung anymore and they think if they keep doing their job, they’ll take the place of the ones giving them orders. 

     They have tunnel vision. They don’t care about the cops or us. They only care about that ladder. With every success, they see themselves getting closer to the top. With every brand-new luxury car they’re given, they become more arrogant, more sure of themselves reaching that top.” 

     “And you got all that from just five minutes of looking at that memo,” Doug remarked and gave a laugh as he shook his head. “At any rate, we’re the ones who brought him in, so the police department is going to let us have a go at the interrogation. Mr. Pinkerton should be calling you any minute to ask if you want in. Given what you did in Pennsylvania, it might be effective for you to be there.” 

     “He was captured in Pennsylvania?” Garrett asked in surprise. “The report said New Hampshire.” 

     “He was on his way into Maine on a trip from Pennsylvania,” replied Doug. 

     “I think I’ll pass,” Garrett decided. “I’ll read the report later. I have something to do tonight. Are you free this weekend? I was thinking of getting a couple of steaks for my birthday.” 

     “You know Pinkerton is planning a birthday party here at the office on Friday,” Doug reminded him. 

     “Yeah, but this is just between us brothers,” Garrett told him. “You know I don’t go for all that party nonsense, anyway.” 

     “Yeah, yeah,” Doug grinned as he stood from his seat. “I’ll let you know but for now, I should be free. 

     I’ll let you get to your work. I’ll keep you up to speed on that interrogation if it’s fruitful.” 

     Garrett nodded and watched him leave. He pulled his phone from his pocket and gave a long, thoughtful sigh before opening his messages.

                           🗡️ “I would like to be your friend.”