*We open the next day, still at the boys' place. Slip is once again at the window, in the wheelchair. He's using the binoculars to stare across the way again.*

Sally: (She comes in, carrying a bag) Hi, honey. I brought you some new books... (Puts the bag on a table and frowns) Are you still looking out the window? Sach told me you barely touched your breakfast.

Slip: *Keeps staring out the window* There's som'en goin' on over there.

Sally: You said that yesterday...and we said it was probably nothing.

Slip: It ain't nutin'. I know there's som'en goin' on! *turns to Sally, his eyes showing a lack of sleep* I was up half the night after hearin' shovelin'. I went to look, an' he saw me.

Sally: Maybe he was planting something and didn't want his neighbors to know.

Slip: I'm willin' ta bet it'd interest the cops, though. Sal, he's up to som'en over there!

Sally: So he shoveled in the middle of the night. That might not mean anything.

Slip: What if it does? An' I can't do nutin' about it!

Sally: (Groans) Slip, the man was probably burying his garbage.

Slip: Sal, please! Can you go over there an' look for me? It's drivin' me nuts!

Sally: (Sighs) Fine. I'll go over there and dig around. But I'm not doing anything illegal. That's not my yard or yours.

Slip: *Sighs* I know that. *nods* Thanks, Sal.

Sally: (Shakes her head) You're welcome. (She grabs her coat and heads out)

*Slip sighs again and returns to his perch to watch for Sally.*

(We see her through the window. She gets to a bare spot in the gardens between the buildings at the same time a little dog does. She watches the dog dig. So does his owner, a cheerful old lady. She and the lady chat. She seems to be asking questions; the lady nods. The dog whimpers, continuing to dig.)

Sach: (Peers in) Hey, Chiefy! You still watchin' the view?

Slip: *Waves a hand while staring out the window* Shhh!

(The dog lets out a yelp and tugs on what looks like a white string. Sally's eyes widen. She leans over and starts digging with the dog. The woman watches, her eyes wide, too.)

Sach: Looks like they found somethin'. I'm gonna go get a pop while we watch. Want some?

Slip: *Shakes his head* No.

Sach: Ok. I'll get some for mysel...ya...yada.... (Sach pulls back, his eyes wide with horror, as we see part of a knife poke through the open doorway) Ch...ch...ch...

Slip: Not now, Sach!

Sach: Chiefy... (A man with a knife comes in, angry as hell) Someone wants to see ya!

Slip: Sach, will you... *turns and his eyes widen, seeing the man*

Man: (Growls) It was you two I saw last night, weren't it? The snoops.

Sach: (Dives behind Slip's wheelchair) It was him! It was all his idea. Honest! He's the one who saw it. I didn't see nuthin'!

Man: You were watchin' my every move. You knew Gladys didn't go to her mother's. You saw her read that letter. I found it in her pocket right after I killed her. (Smirks) And her lover.

Man: You were watchin' my every move. You knew Gladys didn't go to her mother's. You saw her read that letter. I found it in her pocket right after I killed her. (Smirks) And her lover.

Sach: He killed her! He really did it! Did ya hear that, Chief?

Slip: Yeah. I heard.

Man: That ain't her in the bag, though. Some of her is in the suitcase. Most of her is in the dumpster behind her lover's apartment buildin' on 3rd Street. That's her man. (Snarls) Some little low-life like you asses. Younger low-life. She's been seein' him on the sly now for over a year. Met him in some bar. Well, she ain't meetin' him no more.

Slip: *Scowls a bit* That ain't got nutin' to do wit' me. I'm laid up an’ bored. That's the only reason I was even lookin' out the window! I didn't know nutin' about a letter except she was readin' it.

Man: You saw me, though. You saw me with that bag. You saw her with the letter.

Sach: I didn't see nuthin'! It was all him! (Points downwards at Slip)

Slip: Saaaaach!

Slip: *To the man* I didn't know nutin' about nutin' till you spilled yer guts here!

Man: Poor choice of words, boy. That's exactly what I intend to do. I'm going to do to you what I did to her lover. You saw me, didn't you? He was in the bag. I killed him. I killed him with my mallet. Right in the kitchen, and you saw everything. I'd just hit him on the head before that.

Slip: *His face pales* Aw, shit. I didn't see nutin'!

Man: Yes, you did. I stared right at you last night. I saw you. You saw me.

Slip: I didn't know what ya were doin'!

Man: This is going to feel even better than doing him... (But he doesn't get far. Two arms reach over and whack him on the head with a heavy pot. As the man passes out, his knife falling out of his hands, we see a grim Sally behind him. Her dress is grass-stained and her hands are covered in dirt.)

Sach: Sally, you save us! I've never been so happy to see you in my whole life!

*Slip slumps back in the wheelchair, heaving a huge sigh and closing his eyes.*

Sally: (Drops the pot) Sach, go get some rope. I know Slip has some in the kitchen. We'll get him tied up and ready for the cops.

Sach: Yes ma'am. (He takes one look at the man and his knife, shudders, and hurries out.)

Sally: (Hurries to Slip) Are you ok? Did he hurt you or Sach?

Slip: *Shakes his head, then opens his eyes again* No, but he was gonna.

Sally: Slip...you were right. The dog and I dug up a bag that definitely had something heavy in it. (She gulps, then says) It had a body in it. A man's body...or what was left of it. Slip, his skull....it looked like it was... (She stops, unable to go on)

Slip: Don't. I know. He already spilled his... *realizes his turn-of-phrase* spilled it about what he did. It wasn't pretty.

Sally: (Nods and composes herself) The old lady went to the nearest deli to call the cops. They should be here any minute. (She takes Slip's hand) Honey...I'm sorry I didn't listen to you.

Slip: Sal... *shakes his head* I dunno if I woulda believed me either.

Sally: That poor woman...and her lover, too. I can't believe anyone would be so...so...horrible!

Slip: It's awful.

Officer Murphy: (He comes in with Sach and a group of cops; grins) Ahh, I should have been known' that you were involved, Mahoney. You even manage to solve crimes from a wheelchair.

Slip: It's a gift, Murphy.

Officer Murphy: Mrs. Larson, Miss Dumbrowski, and the little pooch Sweet Pea already showed us the evidence. (Winces as the police haul the man on the floor to his feet) It was one of the most thorough jobs of butcherin' I ever saw done on a human bein' in all my thirty years on the force. (Nods) Take him away. We'll give him a talkin' to at the station. Make sure he gets a padded cell...an nothin' sharp. I don't want anyone else to be losin' their insides. (Turns to Slip) And just how DID you find out about all this?

Slip: Well, Murphy... *waves a hand at his leg, then jerks a thumb at the window, then holds up the binoculars* I was bored.

Officer Murphy: You saw him kill the poor lad in the bag through your window? Who do you think you are, laddie, James Stewart?

Sally: It was sort of my fault. I gave him the binoculars.

Slip: It seemed innocent enough at the time.

Officer Murphy: So, it just started out with you bein' bored an' watchin' your neighbors. What did you see, exactly?

Sally: We saw that man fighting with his wife. And she had a letter of some kind.

Slip: Then she left, then he did. He came back with a huge bag and had some blunt object. I couldn't see much. He looked right at me. Durin' the night, I heard him shovelin' and saw him finish packin' the dirt. This mornin' I asked Sally to check it out. While she was over there, he came in an' threatened me an' Sach.

Officer Murphy: (Nods) That checks out with what we've gotten from Mrs. Larson. Seems that these folks did quite a bit of arguin' over the years. Their marriage went sour early on, lots of fightin' an' hittin'. Mrs. Larson also reported hearin' shovelin' in the middle of the night, but she was too tired to check it then. I wouldn't be surprised if other people in both buildin's heard it, too.

Sally: So, the person in the bag is...

Officer Murphy: Not a woman. We believe it's male, probably the lover.

Slip: *Nods* That's what the killer said.

Officer Murphy: He probably killed the woman, too. (Nods) I'll send someone to get an official statement from you two later, but for now, I'll type that up when I get back. And as gruesome as this was (pats Slip on the shoulder) good work, Mahoney. He might have gotten away with this if it wasn't for you, Jones, and Miss Dumbrowski.

Slip: *Nods* Thanks, Murphy. At least this bum leg was good for som'en.

Officer Murphy: You get well soon, son. (He looks up at Sally) Take good care of him, Miss Dumbrowski.

Sally: (Nods, smiling) I will!

(Officer Murphy heads out. Sach heads in, shaking his head.)

Sach: Boy, do those guys ask a lot of questions! Did Murphy squeeze every last answer outta you, too?

Slip: He's sendin' someone to squeeze us later.

Slip: *Sighs again* Som'en ta look forward to, y'know.

Sach: Yeah. (Grins) Wanna look across the way and see if there's anythin' else interestin' goin' on in that buildin'?

Slip: *Eyes widen* No way, Sach!

Sach: Spoil sport! Not everyone in the world is a killer. (He grabs the binoculars) I'm gonna prove it. (He focuses them on one window across the way - this one is a young lady in a leotard, tight shorts, and ballet slippers) Oooh, a dancer! (We see her lay on the floor and stretch her legs and arms) Now she's doin' a few moves. (We see her move to the next room) Now she's startin' to take off her leo...hey! (The shades go down) She blocked my fun! Oh well, I'll wait.

Sally: (Shakes her head) Oh Sach! (She hugs Slip) Maybe you two ought to stick to looking at books and the TV from now on.

Sach: I don't see anyone on "I Love Lucy" takin' their clothes off.

Slip: An' that's the way it should be, Sach. I'm stickin' to my books. At least with those, I know what ta expect.

Sally: And I'm sticking to watching you. (She climbs into Slip's lap and gives him a kiss) Never scare me like that again, Slip Mahoney. I don't want to lose you to some nut.

Slip: Trust me, Sal. I ain't been that scared in a long time. *wraps his arms around her* Hope ya don't mind the bear-hug until my leg starts bothering me.

Sally: I couldn't think of any other hug I'd want more. (She leans over and gives him a big hug and a bigger kiss. As they lean into the kiss, the camera focuses on Sach, who still watches the woman in the window intently. The woman in the window finally sees Sach. Her eyes widen. She grabs a robe over her and lowers the curtains again.)

Sach: (Turns to the camera and shrugs) Well, easy come, easy go. (We fade out on Sach's shrug)