(Suddenly, the door flies open. Gabe comes in, looking very worried and a little annoyed.)

Gabe: Have any of you guys seen Bobby?

Slip: No, we ain't seen him.

Butch: (Shakes his head) He hasn't been here.

Gabe: He never showed up for our interview. He wasn't at his place, either, and his boss hasn't seen him since early this afternoon.

Slip: What? That ain't like Bobby.

Gabe: His boss said he just disappeared. His car's still there, and so's his plane...but no one saw him leave.

Slip: Where would he disappear to?

Zelda: *Chimes in* Maybe he had an emergency.

Gabe: (Frowns) Hey, aren't you Zelda London, Sheila Saunders' right-hand woman?

Butch: The red-headed lady from the other day?

Zelda: So what if I am?

Gabe: Yeah, that's her. (Narrows his eyes at Zelda) I've heard about some of the things you and your boss lady are involved in. You only get away with it because they're under legitimate companies and no one can prove it. (Frowns) And I've heard even more interesting rumors about what you two do to young men who are unlucky enough to end up in your penthouse suites.

Zelda: *Raises an eyebrow* And you believe rumors?

Slip: *Folds his arms and backs away from her* So what do you do, hmmmm?

Zelda: None of your business.

Gabe: You're Sheila's assistant. In the board room and the bedroom. Between the two of you, I'm surprised there's any young millionaire left who can still move, think, talk, or use his parts.

(Butch gulps and moves his chair to the other side of the table.)

Zelda: *Smirks* It's nothing.

Gabe: That's not what I heard.

Slip: Nutin'? Yer sick!

Zelda: *Smirks at Slip* We don't only go for millionaires.

Slip: I ain't no piece of meat.

Zelda: I'd like to disagree with that.

Louie: (He comes out with a menu) Have you made your choice yet, Miss?

Gabe: (To Zelda) What do you know about a Robert Jordan? Most people called him Bobby. Worked for one of your smaller air shipping companies.

Louie: Bobby? Our little Bobby is missing?

Zelda: I don't know anything.

Slip: *Nods* No one's seen 'im at work, and his car and plane are still there.

Louie: I hope nothing's happened to him!

Gabe: He and I were supposed to have an interview this afternoon. He said he had some information for me.

Slip: Some info worth kidnappin' for?

Gabe: The way he was talkin', it was pretty big.

Butch: You don't think they hurt him, do you?

Gabe: (Nods) I'm afraid they might have.

Slip: We gotta find him with or without *looks at Zelda* HER help.

Louie: How about an ice cream soda, young lady?

Zelda: I'm afraid what you have I'm not interested in. *eyes Slip again*

Louie: Would you like some candy? I have some unusual types you won't find anywhere else in the Bowery!

Zelda: I'm not interested, little man.

Gabe: I know what she's interested in, and she ain't gonna get it. And neither will her boss. I wouldn't go out with her for all the candy Louie has.

Louie: Her boss? Who is your boss, young lady?

*Zelda just folds her arms.*

Slip: *To Zelda* I think it's time you got outta here.

Gabe: Her boss is Sheila Saunders.

Louie: (Now he's angry) I know her. She keeps trying to buy businesses on Canal. She wants to own everything. I ain't never sellin' to her. I know what she'll do to this place. She'll ruin it. She'll turn it into some gambling den!

Zelda: I don't want to leave.

Slip: Yer goin' NOW. *Grabs her arm and tugs her toward the door.*

Zelda: Let me go!

Slip: *Pushes her to the door* Yer stinkin' up the joint.

Zelda: I am, am I?

Louie: Tell your boss that I'll never sell to her, not in a million years!

Gabe: And she can stop doing everything short of sitting on my lap, too.

Zelda: Fine. I'll leave. *shakes her arm free* On one condition.

Slip: *Folds his arms* Which is?

*Zelda quickly leans forward and plants a kiss right on Slip's lips. She pulls away smirking, then gives a little wave before heading down the sidewalk.*

*Slip wipes his lips, fuming.*

Gabe: You might want to get some disinfectant, Slip. She and her boss are bad news.

Butch: And we thought she was cute!

Whitey: Boy, were we wrong!

Louie: Neither she nor her boss will be coming in this store again!

Slip: *Rejoins the others* They've done som'en with Bobby, an’ we're gonna find him.

Butch: And Sach is supposed to be finding out more about the poison on the comb, too!

Gabe: Poison on the comb?

Slip: *Nods* They almost killed Chuck with a poisoned comb.

Gabe: (Makes a face) Shit. Someone's gotta stay here and watch him. The rest of you go get Sach and find Bobby. I'll go back to the beauty parlor and see what I can find there.

Butch: I'll stay with Chuck. He's my best friend. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to him!

Louie: I'll stay here, too, and watch after the boys and the store.

Slip: *Nods* Okay, Butch stays. The rest of us'll go find Bobby.

Gabe: Get Sach first. You know how he gets into his chemistry stuff. He's probably forgotten the rest of the world exists by now.

Slip: Fellas, let’s go get the boy not-so-genius.

Gabe: I'll report back at the office, then go to the beauty parlor to see what else I can discover.

Butch: I'll go in the back and make sure no one else tries anything on poor Chuck.

(Butch does so. Louie follows him.)

(Cut to the back room. Chuck is reading a magazine when Butch and Louie come in.)

Chuck: *Looks up* Hi, Butch, Louie. What was going on out there?

Butch: Some chick we thought was cute turned out to be the right-hand woman of that red-headed bitch we saw at the beauty parlor the other day.

Louie: It was Zelda London, the assistant to Sheila Saunders. Ooh, both of them are just horrible! She's made at least three offers to buy the store, and I've turned every one down. I know what she'd do if she got her hands on this place. She'd turn it into some gambling den, that's what she'd do!

Butch: She really went for your brother. She gave him a kiss on the way out, though I don't think he was thrilled with it.

Chuck: *Makes a face* I'm sure he loved that.

Louie: You should have seen the look on Slip's face when she kissed him. If I'd had a camera at that point...

Butch: You'd be a dead man. (He frowns) Bobby Jordan's gone, too. He never showed up for his interview with Gabe.

Chuck: Bobby's missing?!

Butch: (Nods) No one can find him anywhere. He's not at his place. His car and plane are still at the airplane hanger, and his boss didn't see him leave work.

Chuck: Oh no, no...

Louie: I hope they didn't hurt the poor boy. He's been hurt enough.

Chuck: They know he warned me!

Butch: (Nods) And he was going to spill what he knew to Gabe. They probably didn't want him to talk or warn anyone else.

Louie: Our poor Bobby is in terrible danger! Darn these gangsters! I wish they'd leave us alone!

Chuck: It's my fault! If I hadn't let that girl sweet talk me, none of this would be happening!

Butch: Don't start sounding like your brother, Chuck. It ain't your fault. (Sighs) I think you sweet-talked each other. I saw her cryin' when she left. I think she liked you, too.

Chuck: *Frowns* Sorry. It must run in the family.

Louie: (Hears the door open in the main room) I think I hear customers. (He pats Chuck on the shoulder) If you need anything, just ask. (Heads for the main room.)

Butch: You and your brother sure can be two of a kind sometimes.

Chuck: I'm not sure if that's always such a good thing.

Butch: (We hear something in the main room, and then feet going around back) What's that?

Chuck: I'm not sure.

Butch: (Nods at the back) Let's check the back door together. I'll open it. (He hands a crowbar to Chuck) If anyone tries selling you anything, smack him with this.

Chuck: *Slight grin* Gladly.

(The two creep over to the back door. Butch opens it, peers out...and a black-gloved fist suddenly flies out and smacks him right in the chin! He topples on the floor, dazed.)

Chuck: *Watches him fall, distracted* Butch!

(The hands reach out and wind a tie around his neck...and squeezes with all its might! )

*Chuck drops the crowbar and puts his hands up to his neck, trying to pull the tie away.*

Butch: (As he shakes his head and sits up, he looks up at the door...and his eyes widen in pure horror) CHUCK! NO! (He lunges for the man with the tie. The man takes off just as Chuck ends up on the ground. Butch unwinds the tie as quickly as he can.) Chuck! Chuck! Oh my god! If you die, Slip's gonna kill ME!

*Chuck gasps and starts coughing.*

Butch: Chuck! Can you speak to me? Did you get a good look at him?

*Chuck keeps coughing and occasionally gasps, but he shakes his head.*

Butch: (Rubs his back) Damn these guys! I didn't get a good look, either. All I saw was a fist.

Chuck: *His face is red and he’s still gasping for air, but coughing a little less* You okay?

Butch: (Rubs his chin) Yeah. Guy didn't hit me hard. Just enough to get me on the floor and get to you.

Chuck: Good... *leans forward, groaning*

Butch: You know, I'm starting to think that hidin' you ain't such a great idea. It might be better for you to be on the busy streets, where you can't bump someone off in broad daylight unless you want a lot of people noticin'.

Chuck: I'll try...just about...anything...right now.

Butch: Maybe we could go to the beatuy parlor and see if we could turn up some clues with Gabe. That would probably be the last place they'd look!

Chuck: Okay.

Butch: (Grins) Do you remember those big pink smocks the ladies who did hair wore, and all those wigs they had in the back of the shop?

Chuck: *Frowns, still coughing slightly* Oh no...

Butch: As long as we don't find one with braids, it shouldn't be so bad. Junior told me about that one.

Chuck: Not funny.

Butch: We could always make you a blond. You'd at least look better than Junior said Slip did.

Chuck: Not blond...I'll take the...braids over...blond any day.

Butch: Let's go tell Louie what we're doing. (He grabs a heavy coat that's hanging up in the back room and drapes it over Chuck's back.) And wear this. It's a little nippy outside at this time of year, anyway.

Chuck: Not gonna argue.

Louie: (He joins them as they head out) I thought I heard noises out back. Are you boys ok... (Frowns) Butch, what happened to your chin? And Chuck, what are you doing out here...and in my good coat?

Chuck: Oh nothin'. Just nearly got choked to death, that's all.

Louie: Ch...ch...choked to death!

Butch: Before you can run for the police yellin' 'bout murder, I'm gettin' him out of here.

Louie: But where will you go?

Butch: If the others come back here, tell them we went to the beauty parlor to help Gabe. (Smirks at Chuck) And make him prettier.

Louie: The beauty parlor? The one where all of this started? Are you sure that's safe?

Butch: Where else could be safer than right under their noses? Besides, he's going to be in disguise.

Louie: Disguised in my coat?

Butch: (He turns up the collar to hide Chuck's face) That's part of it.

Chuck: The part I don't mind.

Louie: Just be careful. These people may have done something to Bobby, and they've already tried to kill Chuck twice. They aren't playing games.

Butch: We will. (He grabs Chuck's hand) Come on. Can't wait for Slip to see that he ain't the only one who can get big ideas!

*Chuck tosses Louie a pleading look as Butch pulls him out the door.*

Louie: (Calls out to them) And don't take any apples from ugly old ladies who used to be queens with big collars!

(Fade out on Louie at the door. Fade in on the Bowery Boys' small tenement apartment. Sach is in the kitchen, working on his chemistry set. Sach is so involved with what he's doing, he doesn't hear Whitey and Slip come in.)

*Slip nods toward Sach for Whitey to come with him.*

Sach: (He pours something in a beaker) And a little into this...

(Sach doesn't even hear it when Whitey and Slip are on either side of him.)

Slip: *Nods at Whitey, then yells* SAAAAAACH!

Sach: (Jumps and turns to Slip and Whitey) Oop! If you lost your voice, it's in my ear.

Slip: Well?

Sach: (Nods and holds out the comb with the tip of his gloved hands) It's poison, all right. It gets in right through your skin.

Slip: *Shakes his head* Dammit.

Sach: (He puts the comb back in the beaker) You're lucky you got to Chuck when you did. Another few minutes, and... (He shudders as he takes off his gloves)

Slip: It shouldn't've even happened.

Sach: Aw Chief, don't you start in on yourself. That won't help Chuck.

Slip: I'm just sayin'. 'Sides, we still gotta find Bobby.

Sach: Gotta find Bobby? I thought he was with Gabe, gettin' interviewed.

Slip: *Shakes his head* Bobby's gone missin'. He never showed for the interview. His boss ain't seen him. His car and plane were found, but not him.

Sach: (His eyes widen) We've gotta find him!

Sach: Where was the last place someone saw him?

Slip: At the hanger.

Sach: Maybe we oughta go there, then. We could find clues, like Sam Spade on the radio!

Whitey: Oh boy! I love that show!

Slip: *Rolls his eyes* Let’s go.

(Cut to the exterior of the airplane hanger we saw earlier. It's eerily quiet...except for the sound of a car backfiring.)

*We see the boys pull up in the jalopy and park out front.*

Sach: (He wears his deerstalker hat) Oh boy, oh boy! I can't wait to look for clues! (He pulls out a magnifying glass and starts inspecting the grass, then Lucy, then Slip's shirt front)

*Slip makes a face, then sticks a finger in the magnifying glass.*

Slip: You ain't gonna find anythin' there.

Sach: Yes, I did! I found your finger! (He inspects it) Ooh, and it's a big one, too!

*Slip changes fingers.*

Sach: Now Chiefy, that's a very rude finger. (He pushes his finger down)

Slip: Then get that thing offa me.

Sach: Hey, where's Whitey? (He moves the magnifying glass around, looking for him)

Whitey: *In the back seat* I'm right here, Sach!

Sach: Oh, there you are! Oop! Silly boy. Come on. We've gotta find Bobby, unless he's in Lucy.

Whitey: I don't see him in here.

Sach: Then he's outside! (He literally climbs out of Lucy.) The next time we take Lucy to Scruno's, remind him to fix the passenger side door. It's stuck again.

Slip: *Hops down next to Sach; Whitey follows him* Let’s use a little subterfuge.

Sach: A submarine? Oh boy! I've always wanted to go in one of those! Where's the water? (He looks around with the magnifying glass.)

Slip: *Belts Sach with his hat* Another word for bein' sneaky!

Sach: Oop! (Grins) Ok. We can do that, too.

*The trio head inside. As they enter, they each grab a jump suit hanging on the wall. Moments later, they're walking down the hall wearing the jump suits, headed for the offices.*

Sach: (Grins and pats his jump suit) This will be better than when a bunch of us worked for the airplane factory durin' World War II!

Slip: Just keep yer eyes and ears open.

Sach: (He's still inspecting everything with his magnifying glass...including a door in the wall with glass on it that says "Office.") How 'bout this, Chief? That door just appeared in this wall! (Looks around) I think this place is haunted, or something.

Slip: The only thing haunted around here is you. *tries the knob; it opens*

(They discover a room filled with goons. Bobby is tied to a chair, his bad leg in an intentionally awkward position. Allan stands behind him. Sheila sits behind a desk.)

Allan: Damn it! These aren't the ones Adriana went for!

Sheila: (Makes a face) I can see why.

Slip: *Groans* Shit.

Sach: Oop! This room is too crowded. I think I'll make it less so. (But a goon shuts the door just as he turns to leave. He ducks behind Slip instead.) Then again, it is kinda cozy in here.

*Whitey hides behind Sach.*

Allan: Where's the pretty boy, runt?

Slip: *Folds his arms* He ain't here.