Ernie raised an eyebrow, not having quite expected that answer. Not that he was really sure what sort of answer he was expecting, but nonetheless. "I think you might be giving the position a bit more credit than it's worth these days, but I can try. What is it that you want me to find out?"
And more importantly, who was he going to have to talk to to find out said information. He had the sinking feeling the answer to that question would be, perhaps, less than pleasant.