Pick Locks?

In my first playthrough of Arcanum without UAP or mods I just tried to pick the lock on a door with only the dwarven racial trait in picking locks.

Virgil (whose DEX is higher than that of my dwarf) interfered and offered to "let me open that for you" - but nothing happens after some waiting.

So I assumed that he could not even attempt to open the door for lack of lockpicks and transferred them from my dwarf to him.

Only that now I have no idea how to get Virgil picking that lock, because I can´t attempt it anymore without the lockpicks...

Does one have to have lockpicks in the inventory of BOTH to have that work? Or do I miss some other way to get Virgil to pick the lock?

 

I never heard of that. This game won't stop to amaze me....