White-light cut back to the interrogation room. Dawson asks The Flash, "Why are you staring at me like that?" The Flash: "Because I don't understand how someone as freakishly ugly as you became a teen idol." Then I wake up with a jolt as The Flash actually remembers that Dawson had left the house by the time he woke up the day before. Dawson says sarcastically that that must prove he kidnapped the dog. Smalls folds his arms forbiddingly. Dawson asks, "Aren't you guys working this whole, like, NYPD Blue angle a little hard?" Shut up, Dawson. Dawson recalls that Gale gave him a ride over to Mr. Brooks's.

Whiz over to the front seat of the Hussywagon, parked in front of the Brookshaven, where Gale "Boring Sickness" Leery tells Dawson to get home as soon as he can because he lost The Flash's car keys. The Amish write that down. Dawson thinks he took the keys with him before he left the night before. The Amish write that down too. "Whatever, just find them before he knows they're gone," Gale huffs. Banter. Gale drives off. "Our" Mr. Brooks comes out the screen door. "You summoned me," Dawson says with great ironic fanfare. Shut up, Dawson. Mr. Brooks needs his archives and papers "cleaned out, sorted through." Dawson says okay, "but you're gonna have to pay me." To what -- go away? If that's the case, then by all means pass the hat my way. "Excuse me?" Mr. Brooks grumps. Dawson says that he's paid his debt, he painted the house and the fence, the boat is fixed, and "it's over," so to do any more work for Mr. Brooks, he'll "need some compensation." "No," Mr. Brooks says flatly. Heh. Dawson shrugs, "All right," and begins to take his leave. Mr. Brooks rumbles, "I'll pay you what you're worth." "Nothing," Wing and I mutter groggily. Mr. Brooks doesn't disappoint: "Very little." Yeah, THAT'S the stuff. Mr. Brooks goes inside. Dawson rolls his eyes, but follows him.

Over to the interrogation. In deliciously tight close-up -- man, Kerr Smith has some blue eyes -- Jack tells us that he had a chemistry project to do with Drue Valentine, so they went to the hardware store for supplies.

Flash cut to the hardware store, where Drue "Id" Valentine babbles on about Jack reaching out to him lately or some damn thing, and how it's "so moving" even though he knows Jack holds him at least partly responsible for "that whole mess with" Andie. "Eh, whatever," Jack shrugs. Amen, brother. Jack tells Drue to go get the paint and take the rest of their loot up to the register; when Drue asks why Jack can't do it, Jack makes up an excuse about having to fix the soccer goal net and bling blah blooey, and the Amish scribble furiously with the homemade pencils they fashioned out of burnt twigs. "Must be weird," Drue oozes. "What?" Jack asks. "Being selfless." Blecchh. Shut up, Drue. Jack cocks an eyebrow and heads off down the aisle of the hardware store…