Oh, this is awkward. All the awkward. Maybe he shouldn't have said anything at all.

The longer it takes him to frame his first question, the more difficult it becomes to ask it at all.

"Well, I guess, why?" he finally asks. "Mr Holmes says that this whole thing between the two of us — I mean, you and him — is because of boredom, but... there's more to that, isn't there?"

He sounds almost hopeful, like he doesn't think boredom is sufficient reason to do half of what he knows is coming.