Hey, I'm back! I had finals and a few personal issues to deal with. Plus, this is the last time I do most of my proofreading on Doc Manager. Thanks for your kind and critical reviews. And to answer one person's review, this story should have at least 12 chapters at the minimum. Like I said before, this story will be a little different than you expect. Hope you enjoy this new chapter.
Chapter 2: A Case Reopened, A Gang Reunited
… Firefighters have finally gotten the fire under control at Warner Bros. Studios. Luckily, it was reported that no one was seriously hurt. We have tried to contact the C.E.O for…
… In other news; police and ACME Labs officials are still on the lookout for two lab mice Pinky and the Brain…"
Plotz has announced that Warner Bros. will be temporarily closed until further notice...
...Foul is the perfect word to describe the studio's new movie Fowl Play, one of the worst movies of the year...
… With the failure of the studio's movie, many are now considering the possibility that Warner Bros. Studios is on the verge of bankruptcy…
A few weeks later. April 15th 10:12 AM
Why did my alarm clock have to stop working today?!
This was just perfect. The first day he was allowed to come back on studio grounds, and he was 12 minutes late. Scratchensniff, duffle bag in hand, huffed and puffed as he sprinted towards Mr. Plotz's office building. Plotz couldn't have picked a better time to have a meeting. What was it for? He'd have to hope Plotz wouldn't be too angry at him to find out.
Within a few moments, he burst through the door to Plotz's office. The room was packed. Outside from the obvious absences, pretty much all of the cast members were here. He darted his head to either side of the room. Plotz wasn't present. Although he looked to be in the clear, he had to be sure. He searched for Nurse to fill him in on what he might have missed. Along the way, he gave quick greetings to the other cast members.
"Hi, Mr psychiatrist! Said Mindy. Her companion Buttons, simply barked.
"Nice seeing ya again" Rita greeted.
"Hi, definitely hi!" Runt barked.
So much had changed since the show ended, Scratchensniff thought. Minerva had her own line of perfume. Mindy was about to finish elementary school. Buttons managed to sue her negligent parents and became her legal guardian. Scratchensniff was still puzzled how he was able to pull that off. Rita and Runt were now famous Broadway stars. He liked that despite their new popularity, they remained humble...Now if only he could say the same for the Hip Hippos. Ever since they stared in one of the Warner's movie " Le Kopera" a rock opera, not only did their popularity grow, but so did their egos.
"Nurse, there you are!" He finally spotted her on the far side of the room. She was tending to Squit who looked like a mummified pear underneath the wraps. Next to him was Bobby taunting a ticked off Pesto who had his beak wrapped up. When she saw him, her face brightened up.
"Doctor, I was starting to wonder if you were going to show up" she responded.
"Please don't tell me, I missed ze meeting" he fretted anxiously. She shook her head.
"Far from it, Plotz hasn't even come in yet"
"Really, he hasn't?"
"Ah you know how Plotz is, always putting stuff off for the dramatics." Slappy Squirrel spoke up. She casually rested an arm on Plotz's desk. "All I know is he better get here soon, I got to drop Skippy at school and a bridge game at 11."
Skippy, who was well into middle school was sitting on top of Plotz's desk, completely invested in a handheld video game.
"Ah, It's you, haven't seen you in a while" A male European voice answered to someone behind him. Scratchensniff knew who it was. He turned around to see the Hip Hippos, Flavio and Maria towering over someone in the doorway. It was Ralph looking up at them with an annoyed scowl. Had they not said anything, Scratchensniff would have ignored him completely. "So, where have you been, pigging out at the café?" Flavio tauntingly asked him.
"That explains why it took him so long to notice the fire" Maria added.
"Uh, but, but yous is fatter than me" Ralph uttered what Scratchensniff thought was supposed to be a comeback. Flavio bumped his blue gut in front of the guard's face.
"We're not fat," he replied coldly. "For hippos, we're big enough for our size. What's your excuse?" Maria gently rubbed her husband's chin.
"Come, darling, he bothers me" she replied. The hippos walked off hand in hand, leaving Ralph alone at the door.
"Vhy hello Flavio and Maria..." they passed by Scratchy without a passing glance. Nurse sent a disapproving stare in their direction.
"Hmph. They star in one movie and they act like their royalty" she scoffed. The two of them stared back at Ralph who had slovenly leaned against the wall. "God, he looks terrible"
"Really? I couldn't tell" Slappy spoke dismissively. Scratchensniff quickly took notice and nodded in agreement. She was right. Never known for being clean cut, Ralph's unshaven facial hair had darkened a few shades. His blue suit was slightly wrinkled and his tie wasn't properly straightened. While Ralph wasn't exactly a neat person, this seemed really odd. He felt a tap on his shoulder.
"Doctor, may I suggest something?" Nurse asked. It wasn't often she did this, but Scratchensniff was always willing to allow it.
"Vhy yes" he answered gratefully.
"Doctor. You're good with people, why don't you try talking to him?" she asked. Scratchensniff briefly blinked in hesitation.
While he appreciated the compliment, he didn't find it all too true. He did not want to deal with him, Ralph never been very approachable to begin with. Knowing him, Scratchensniff was not surprised to know it took Ralph a long time to respond to the fire. Despite his years of psychiatric study, he had enough common sense to know that Ralph was just a simple dunderhead. But still...
He paused briefly before he gave his answer."Vell..."
As if on cue, the door opened. Everyone went silent as Plotz and his secretary Corden came through the doorway. Skippy hopped off his desk just before Corden placed a few files on top of it. Plotz made his way towards his office's large window, his signature scowl on his face. For several seconds he stared out at the view in front of him. Outside was a scenic view of several burnt out studio buildings. The Warners water tower stood proudly amidst the ruins.
Scratchensniff knew his office was among the charred remains outside the window. All he had left was in his duffle bag, a few files, a framed picture of the Warners, and Mr. Puppethead. He was grateful to have thought about packing these things before he left earlier that day. Plotz clearing his throat regained his attention.
"Everyone, I've gathered you all here for an important situation." the CEO stated formally. "Our studio is in a financial crisis, two more of our best stars have gone missing. On top of this fire, the media already on us as is" He rubbed the bags underneath his eyes. "If we don't do something soon. Well, we'll all be out of a job."
Scratchensniff along with the rest of the cast members gasped in horror. The idea that Warner Bros would close was unthinkable. It wasn't just a place to work, it was also a home. Most of the cast still lived on and around studio grounds. To make matters worse, it was already hard for toons to find work nowadays, it would be even harder if they came from a studio that's no longer in business. Studio association mattered when it came to toons. If you didn't have an active studio in your background, your chances of getting a job were about easy as performing rocket science.
"So under the suggestion of a few board members..." He gave a wary look at his secretary. "I've taken the liberty in hiring a few private detectives to help figure things out".
A human toon proudly barged into the room carrying a briefcase in his left hand. He had fat and stocky build that almost rivaled Ralph's, and a thick brown mustache to match his thick brown hair. Scratchy was slightly taken aback at his casual appearance; dark gray pants and a vest, a sand-colored shirt, and an unstraightened red tie.
Maybe he's one of those undercover detectives. The man set his briefcase on the desk.
"Good morning, sir" he greeted in a rough voice. "And I'd like to say its honor to be invited in your..."
"Save the small talk, introduce yourself" Plotz snapped impatiently. The portly toon blinked for a moment before clearing his throat.
" Well um, alright. My name is Lucky Piquel..."
"Pickle?" Mindy giggled in the background along with a few others. Scratchensniff could tell from the man's irritated sigh that this wasn't first time someone called him by that name.
"It's Piquel, Police officer and detective of the Los Angeles Toon Divison." he set the briefcase up on its side. Scratchensniff had never met this person, but yet he seemed very familiar. Maybe it was someone who he was with...
Oh-no...
"And this is…" He gulped as if he were about to regret his introduction. As he gingerly opened the briefcase, a spotted orange ball blasted out and bounced all over the room. It zipped past Ralph's head, knocking his cap off, before planting itself on the desk. It turned into an orange bobcat with black spots and blue police uniform.
"Hiya ho there! It's…Bonkers!" the toon chirped in a peppy voice. The crowd's reaction was spontaneous.
"Attack!" Skippy cried out. In an instant, the cast members hurled a volley of rotten fruit and vegetables at the two detectives. Both Scratchensniff and Nurse dodged out of the way just as a watermelon zipped by them and exploded at Plotz's feet. His secretary was not spared.
"What is wrong with you?! Stop! Stop it!" Plotz yelled. The cast members froze in place, some of their food suspended in mid-air.
Tough crowd" Lucky grumbled as he stepped over the pile of food at his feet.
"Hey, your wife says we needed to start eating more greens" Bonkers replied as he nonchalantly bit out of a head of lettuce.
"Sorry about that. The cast members can get a little…ecstatic" Plotz apologized, trying to hide his irritation.
"Geez if they got static then you might need to adjust your TV antenna" Bonkers retorted.
"No, they, nevermind" Plotz sputtered.
Bonkers was never very popular among the studio. Scratchensniff didn't know why exactly, he just wasn't. He briefly recollected how the show would occasionally rip on him every now and then, and was always perplexed on why the Warners didn't' like him either. He seemed just as zany and destructive as them. So he thought.
Bonkers came forward and vigorously shook Mr. Plotz's hand. Plotz's yelped as his entire body violently wobbled.
"I gotta say, its an honor to meet you. So you're the top dog, the fat cat, the big kahuna, the really big guy, The tall tree in the…!" the bobcat chattered rapidly.
"I think he gets the point Bonkers" Lucky cut in.
"Oops, sorry. Honest mistake" Bonkers apologized.
"Think nothing of it" Plotz staggered dizzily. The bobcat stood on top of his head as if it were a podium.
"But, still we're happy to be here, well do everything we can to bring justice for distressed toons. We don't judge, we don't care if your Disney, MGM, or...!" Bonkers continued to gush more excessive chatter for the next several seconds.
Scratchensniff harshly rubbed his head, he was starting to see why the Warners didn't care for him that much. Several of the cast members were groaning or covering their ears.
"Mama tu fagila! This guys like Tigger on helium over here!" Bobby complained in the commotion.
"Is he always like this?" Scratchy asked Lucky.
"You don't know the half of it. But, you get used to it after a while." the cop muttered.
"Really?" Scratchy asked.
"Nope."
"...As a fellow toon, its such a tragedy that such a group of talented and unlucky guys have to be ambushed in their prime" Bonkers swooned melodramatically.
"Oh geez…" Lucky sighed, rubbing the brim of his nose.
" A travesty it is! It used to be safe back when I was once a toon star. It's just so terrible when a toon can't even walk on the same street anymore !" Bonkers leaned against Plotz's shoulder and burst into a fountain of tears, much to Plotz's discomfort. Lucky rolled his eyes.
"Cut it with the hysterics, we've got a job to do" the cop flicked his partner's long ears. Bonkers excitedly perked up as if nothing happened.
"Right, back to business" He chirped happily. Plotz lightly patted his soaked suit jacket.
"Can we get back to the situation at hand?" he asked, finally having enough of this.
"What hand? I thought this at Warner Bros!" Bonkers asked quizzically.
"It is!" Plotz responded angrily.
"So which hand? My hands?" Bonkers held up his own gloved hands.
"No!"
"Your hands?"
"Yes, I mean no!" Plotz's face flushed a bright shade of crimson.
"These hands?" Bonkers raised up one of Runt's paws.
"Those are paws!" Out of nowhere, Ralph raised his own hand.
"Is it my hand?" he cut in. Plotz clenched his fists together as his face went purple.
"No! Just tell us what the hell's going on!" he shouted. The bobcat instantly shut up and jumped back a bit. Scratchensniff groaned, these guys were off to a bad start.
"Handled that like a charm" Lucky muttered dryly.
"Alright, alright no need to impersonate a tea kettle," said Bonkers. "We're here to reopen a closed case. We believe that the Warner's are not dead." The crowd went silent.
"If this is your idea of a joke we ain't laughing; but after seeing your show we probably couldn't tell the difference." Slappy spat critically. Plotz stormed in front of Bonkers.
"Why you are bringing those guys up?! I hired you to figure out what happened with the fire...!" Bonkers shushed him.
"Be patient well get to that. We will, we will" He leaned in closer, "Personally, we think they're connected".
"How are you sure?" Plotz asked.
"I've got a hunch, and luckily it's not the kind on my back either" Bonkers responded. " You see, we..." A bulky hand covered his mouth.
"Let me handle this..." Lucky grumbled before speaking aloud to the crowd. "Alright, so the Warners disappeared last year in the middle of the night on April 1..." he began to explain.
"Tell us something we don't know!" Rita exclaimed.
"At first it was said that the plane simply did a magic trick and vamoosed from sight. The plane has remained missing since then." A small smirk came across his face "But a couple pics from a remote part of Yosemite National Park, proved otherwise. Bonkers slide."
Bonkers took off his blue cap and dumped several items onto the floor; dice, a raft, magazines, and several balloons. He picked up a gray balloon and blew into it. It expanded until it morphed into an actual slide projector. Plotz dimmed the lights just as Bonkers turned it on. The slide's image was projected on a wall.
"Skippy close your eyes, this might get graphic" Slappy advised. Her nephew scoffed.
"Aw Slappy, I'm a man, I can handle it" Skippy replied.
The first shot was exactly what Scratchensniff feared, a plane crash. It was the crumpled up remains of a small white jet the Warners flew on. The mangled heaps of metal nearly made him sick to his stomach. The front end was partially submerged in a nearby lake. Both wings were ripped clean off. The whole thing had slowly been overtaken by several bushes and small trees.
"These were taken by us just a few days ago. We finally got a chance to look at wreckage; at first, we figured it was a straightforward case. Hijacker lost control of the plane and crashed into woods, that kind of deal. But then we noticed a few details. Bonkers, slide." The next slide featured the damaged remains of the cockpit. Amidst the torn metal and foliage, in the middle were three red seats.
"Look at these seats, they aren't even buckled up. Normally, passengers have to remain seated when preparing for a crash landing. Our guess is that the Warner had no intention on doing so". He pointed to the plane's hull. It was peppered with several dents.
"There seem to be signs of a struggle, Look at the side of the hull, these dents look far too small to caused by the main impact." He pointed to a dent that appeared to be fist imprint.
"Someone had to have a pretty strong left hook to make one of those dents." Bonkers commented briefly. His partner then pointed a small circular dent. "... And a mean swing to make the other ones."
Just like Wakko's mallet
"But as for remains, All we found were footprints..." Lucky continued. The next slide nearly made Scratchensniff tear up, It was a close-up shot of the cockpit floor. To the far right was a faint boot print. To the left was another one that was unmistakably clear. It was tiny three-toed footprint, with two smaller spots inside it.
Just like the one Dot has…
"...And these three things". On the screen were three items lined up on a table, a size 11 black and white bowling shoe, a brass knuckle, and a scorched wooden paddle that was missing its ball.
Just like the one Yakko had... This one definitely made him tear up. Nurse handed him a tissue to wipe his eyes. This was too much. Scratchensniff was begging to see something different then what he saw now. His eyes dried instantly at the next slide.
It was Lucky in nothing but boxer shorts and bunny slippers. Scratchensniff shuddered as a wave of shouts and laughter erupted.
Maybe I should have been more specific.
Skippy screamed in horror as he huddled behind her aunts back.
"Told ya."Slappy commented.
A red-faced Lucky jumped in front of the projected slide. "Bonkers! Slide, Slide! Slide!"
"He he! Sorry, must have slipped in" Bonkers chuckled before switching back to the previous slide. Lucky cleared his throat to regain his composure.
"As grizzly as this scene, is ..." Another slide featured Lucky being chased by a grizzly bear.
"Pun intended" Bonkers cut in, receiving another glare from Lucky before he continued.
"There's something also missing, parachutes." The next slide showed an open metal hatch near the door where the parachutes would have been. "And yet there is a there is a trail of boot prints that led from here and right out the emergency door".
"But this doesn't prove that they are still alive!" Plots blurted aloud. "They could have landed in the woods and starved to death." Scratchsniff almost scoffed at the idea, Wakko would've eaten the whole forest before starvation would come into play.
"Not exactly" Lucky interjected. "Bonkers slide" The next slide was a ranger station's cabin at the park. "We got a chance to talk to one of the rangers at Yellowstone. Apparently, about the same time the crash occurred, an incident was reported when one of his squad cars got stolen by two unidentified men, just 100 miles away" Bonkers turned off the projector and appeared right beside Lucky.
"Don't you guys get it, the Warners were never in the plane when it crashed. Something or somebody forced them to jump ship." Bonkers said as a matter of fact. "The Warners, have been kidnapped." Everyone gasped.
"…And we think your missing mice had something to do with it." Lucky finished his statement. The cast members didn't take this well as the volley of fruit resumed. Plotz jumped into the line of fire again.
"Stop!" he screamed. The cast members did as they were told and stopped. "Thank you-" A stray tomato splattered against his cheek. Plotz angrily beamed an eye at the crowd.
"Oops, Sorry, My arthritis is acting up," Slappy answered. Lucky wiped a splattered egg off his head.
"Look, we're not saying they did it, but the evidence that's available doesn't seem to work in their favor. Come on, don't tell me you think this isn't odd. Three big stars disappear, and the only other two people who probably might know what happened also disappear? And right before the fire too? Unless we can find new evidence to disprove it, it doesn't look good for them." Lucky sighed. Several of the cast members murmured among themselves about the grim possibility that the two mice were criminals.
"Which is why we're here today!" Bonkers added cheerfully. " If we find the Warners...well find the mice!"
Scratchensniff was in a sublime state of shock. He was overjoyed at the possibility that the Warners were still out there, but at the same time horrified that someone else had them. This raised many serious questions. Where are now? Are they hurt? Who or what has them?! And were Pinky and the Brain really responsible for this? No, he knew them better than that.
"For this investigation, I'll need a few special acquaintances, to assist me in this search party. So let's play a little game. Simon says raise your hands if you regularly saw the Warners at least once a month!" everyone did as Bonkers said and raised their hands. "Simon says keep your hands up if you've seen them every week!" a few hands went back down. "Simon says keep your hands up if you've seen them every day!" at this point the only people with their hands raised were Scratchensniff, Nurse, Ralph, and Plotz.
"What's the point of this?" Plotz grumbled as he put his hand down. Bonkers pointed an accusatory finger at him.
"Ah, I didn't say Simon says! I need people who been with them the longest. Who better to find these guys, than the guys who knew them best?" Out of nowhere, a single spotlight shone down on him. "Ladies and Gentlemen, you guys are candidates for our next search party! All you need is approval from my big pal here!" He playfully pounded at Lucky's big gut, who did not look the least bit happy.
"Come on, Bonkers this is ridiculous… You can't honestly expect these guys would willingly take out time to go on a time-consuming invest-"
I vill go" Scratchensniff spoke without hesitation. All eyes turned towards him. While he never considered himself to be an opportunist, this was a golden exception he wasn't willing to pass up. Plotz eyes widened at his sudden response. Bonkers jumped for joy, confetti and streamers spurt from his uniform.
"Welcome aboard sir, the 1st to volunteer!"
"Scratchensniff, you can't be serious" Plotz exclaimed. Scratchensniff turned to him.
"But sir, you've said time und time again that ze Varners are my responsibility, it's only fitting that I should go" he countered. Plotz's frown of uncertainty remained in place.
"Well, I guess if you put that way..."
"Of course its alright!" Bonkers interjected before he planted a kiss on Scratchy's bald head. He grimaced, it didn't feel the same. "And, besides he looks like a nice well tempered, fun guy!" he added just before rummaging through his duffle bag.
So what was your relationship with the Warners?" Lucky asked quizzically.
"I was their psychiatrist, my job was to control their zany attitudes"
"Did you do it?"
"Eh..." His train of thought was interrupted by Bonkers taking the puppet out his bag.
"Say whose this, Senor Puppetman?" the psychiatrist snatched it from his hands.
"His name is Mr. Puppethead!" Scratchensniff screeched defensively. The two detectives stared at him as if he was crazy.
"Well, that answers my question" Lucky spoke under breath. Nurse stood up and rushed towards his side, no doubt sensing he was making a terrible first impression.
"I'm coming too, I'm his personal assistant. Mr. Piquel, Scratchensniff has over several years in dealing with the Warners, if anybody knows who might have taken them, he's the expert"
"Sorry misses…" Lucky interrupted.
"Nurse"
"Right, But this type work is only for seasoned professionals like ourselves" He looked behind him to see Bonkers doing a handstand. "We wouldn't want you to worry-m
"Oh I suppose I'll fit in just fine, besides it might get dangerous, who will you turn to for immediate medical attention?" she replied, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Someone might whack you and you end up with a concussion"
"Uh.." he stammered.
"You could get into a scuffle and receive many cuts, bruises, and broken bones" she gently pricked at his arm.
"Well um.."
"There may not always be a hospital to vouch for that. But of course, that's just an assumption." she shrugged.
"Shes got you there big boy," said Bonkers.
"Alright fine, both of you can come" Lucky answered. A bright smile appeared on both her and Scratchensniff's face. He was always amazed at how persuasive she could be.
"Wait!" Ralph panted as he eagerly stepped forward. His goofy demeanor seemed to return for a brief moment. "Duh, can I comes too?
"He just said you were a candidate" Lucky answered.
"What types of candy am I?" Ralph scratched his head. Plotz buried his face into his hands.
"Really, Ralph you don't have to do this…" Plotz pleaded desperately "Really!"
"I used to chase da Warners every time they gots out the tower. I still even have postcards from them." Ralph proposed, trying his best to sound literate. "I'm big and strong, I could be your, your..."
"...Bodyguard!, you could watch out for any bad guys that might try to kill us" Bonkers responded inappropriately cheerily.
"Excuse me?" Scratchy asked nervously.
"Just kidding, I doubt it's going to be that dangerous." Bonkers dismissed. Red hearts appeared in his eyes as he looked up at the nurse curvaceous body " Still I don't mind the nurse staying around" he swooned.
Nurse pointed at her own eyes "These are up here, thank you"
Ralph stood between her and Scratchensniff and proudly puffed his chest up. "Don't worry guys I won't let anybody get you twos. If I see trouble I'll be looking out for, for…"
"…the nearest donut shop." Flavio finished derisively, creating a few chuckles from the others. .Ralph's face nearly flushed bright red as his chest deflated. Lucky rested a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, I was a security guy myself starting out, guys like you are always welcome" Lucky complimented.
"You's mean its?" Ralph gasped.
" Why not, we got already enough interesting people on b-"
"Ah, Thanks!" Ralph graciously embraced him in a constricting hug.
"Your welcome, now let go of me." the cop strained breathlessly. Ralph let go before he choked him.
"You better count me in too" Plotz came forward.
"You're actually coming with us too?" Scratchensniff asked. He was surprised at how willing he was to go along with this.
"Of course I am, this is the future of Warner Bros. we're talking here!"
Bonkers planted a wet kiss on the CEO's head. "Yes! It's so noble that a noble guy like yourself is willing to risk your life for three defenseless toons" Plotz squeezed his mouth shut, hoping to prevent another melodramatic speech.
"Of course, I 've known those three pests- I mean kids for almost all of my life. I'm right behind this all the way" Plots stated proudly.
"Well, that's everyone!" Bonkers exclaimed.
Plotz turned to the cast members before him." Now I want all the rest of you to go home and sit tight"
"We don't want any more of you getting caught up in this," Corden added, who remained silent up until now. "If we're dealing with a serial kidnapping here, whats stopping anyone else from becoming a target?" Despite various protests, everyone eventually complied.
"Well, you're lucky I got still got a nephew to care for. Or else I'd really raise hell about this." Slappy complained.
Mr. Plotz decided to end the meeting "Well what are you waiting for, go! All of you! Get out of here!" he pointed towards the door. In no time at all, everyone cleared out of the office except for Corden, the detectives, and the four new search party members. It was here when the feeling of excitement wore off, Scratchensniff froze for a brief moment. Then he slapped the side of his head in a frustrating realization.
What did I get myself into? I have no idea how to solve mysteries.
XXXX
Plotz wasn't surprised at the number of skeptic frowns and mutterings he caught while the others peeled out the door. It had only been a few minutes and already this plan wasn't looking good. Right across from him, Scratchensniff, Nurse, and Ralph were patiently awaiting his response.
The four of them stood in awkward silence for a few moments. It had years since they had gotten together for anything. The last time they did that was when they figured out a plan to keep the Warners from starting an all-out prank war with the cast members from Jackass. The only difference between now and then was back then, they actually knew what to do.
Ralph finally broke the silence, "Duh, that was a pretty good speech boss."
"Thank you, which is why I would like to ask… where do we start?!" Plotz yelled. Bonkers appeared from underneath his coat jacket, making him jump. He was really starting to hate this guy.
"Where else? The scene of the crime!" He blew into a bugle he'd taken from his uniform. "Onward people! To the ACME labs!" the bobcat pointed towards the window's open slides and gleefully jumped out of it.
"There was a door to this office, why didn't you use it?!" Lucky called out after him. He cursed under his breath and he jogged out of his office. Scratchensniff, Ralph, and Nurse quickly followed after him. Now Corden and the CEO stood alone in the room. If this was Corden's idea of a rut, then the Grand Canyon was a ditch.
"Gah, that stupid bobcat! Volunteers indeed!" Plotz furiously pounded a fist his desk. If he still had plenty of hair on his head, he would have gladly ripped it all out.
"Plotz, what's the problem? You wanted to do this case right?" Corden asked.
"Of course not Corden!, I only joined because those three loonies will mess everything up!" He assumed the detectives would just solve one case on their own and that would be it. Reopening an expensive case, and bringing along a volunteer search party was the last thing he had in mind. Unlike Scratchensniff, Plotz thought Bonkers was way off in his decision of picking them. These guys were just employees, not detectives. They would be little to no help in his eyes.
"I don't know, are you sure that's " Plotz poked a finger at his long nose.
" If I remember, you suggested this idea. " he snapped critically. "Be grateful I'm willing to go through with it, I'm just pitching in to make sure this doesn't backfire"
"Oh, I see where you're getting at. It's like you're a supervisor" Corden's face brightened. Plotz smiled, finally, he was starting to see it his way "Say, Why not take a couple days off while you're at it? You have been overworked" As tempting as it sounded, Plotz couldn't afford to that
"Nonsense, I should only be gone for a day or two, In the meantime, you're in charge! You can handle that can you?" Corden's eyes widened at his offer. Plotz trusted him enough, he figured that he couldn't do much damage in that amount of time.
"Oh, of course, sir!" the secretary eagerly replied. " But wait, what about Globwobber? We still have the issue with that loan to deal with." Plotz paused for a moment, he had forgotten about that.
"Set me one up for me later on this week. Corden, I oughta give you a reward for your tactful thinking"
"Like a raise perhaps?" Corden asked hopefully.
"Don't push your luck!"Plotz scoffed. Heading for the door, he barely noticed Corden's satisfied grin when he plopped himself behind his desk. As he slammed the door, he turned around to see a pair of green eyes right in his face.
"Oh, Slappy! What are you still doing here?" Plotz jumped, slightly taken aback.
"Forgot my purse" she replied stone-faced. "So, everything good?"
"Oh sure, sure". Plotz dismissively answered. She said nothing as she went inside to get her purse and came back out. He really hoped that she didn't overhear everything. He felt stupid trying to pretend, despite her old age, Slappy was still sharp as a tack. And the old squirrel would no doubt blab to the cast if she knew what he just said.
"I've only got one question..." she asked sternly. Plotz muscled tensed. "Why Bonkers? Of all the guys to get, why him? Why not Dick Tracy? That masked duck guy whatever his name is, or even those hippie kids with the dumb dog?"
"They were either unavailable or refused to work for cheap," Plotz answered, slightly relieved. She still continued to stare at him.
"You don't fool me for a moment Plotz, but I'll let you go on this one." She turned her back and disappeared down the hallway. He wasn't entirely convinced that she didn't know, but he would have to worry about that later. The others were probably halfway to the labs right now. He quickly hurried after them. Along the way, he only had one thought on his mind.
I'm going to save this studio at any cost. And as long as the others stay out of my way, I can do that.
