I see "gripping his handout" as significantly more vivid than the uttered response -- which OP confirms to have eluded their memory. That's the story: the teller's reaction to the question was more visceral than verbal.

Sometimes the truth is inherently dramatic. I know that when I've responded in that way -- clenching and mumbling a monosyllable -- the clench is honest, the syllable may be effectively meaningless.