At the laugh, he calmed down slightly. If it was a joke, he could deal with it far better than an outright insult. He was a strange kid like that. Talking more like this would definitely have to wait until they meet again so that Eli could better pick up on cue from him. Phones still messed him up something fierce and he always had trouble picking up a person's intentions from voice alone.

"For this story, you're my most important resource, so you're technically part of my job until I find another contact," Eli pointed out. He was the source in the police force that he could use for this story and specific case, so his explanation made sense.