[He gently pats one of those hands on his shoulder.]


...Nothing. It's quite alright.

[He bites his lip. Should one have a trained-enough ear, one may hear a small 'sniff' from beneath his silver bangs...]

Hmph. Do you recall at the end of the case when I had asked if you had wanted to switch places? The offer still stands... [His voice degrades into a morose laugh of sorts...]