So, this is what I've come up with for the timeline on the kidnapping:
Nick gets kidnapped/disappears in the magic box. Let's hypothesize that this occurs early in the morning. (I'm not even going to get into the fact that this episode aired at the end of January and Vatman takes place over St. Patty's Day - March 17th, which is Perry's B-day - so it probably actually was set in January and yet it's warm enough for the boys to be rolling around in the grass.)
Chris runs to tells Mrs. Collins. They return to the magic box (within 5-15 minutes) but it's gone, right? Or is the box still there but now there's a note? No, the box must be gone because they all believe he's compensating for the stress of his friend having gone missing. How the note is delivered is never brought to the forefront. But, I would think that Mrs. Collins would have called the police right away after learning that her son had disappeared, so the note must have been delivered while they were out looking for the box.
I assume she then calls the Moskals in Africa (or the head of Moskal security or the lawyer or someone who can advise her on what to do) The Moskals are on Safari in Africa. (Do they have safaris anywhere else, which might be closer?
Anyway, when Lois and Clark return to the DP, and it's still early enough for them to do research on the "magic box" before heading off to the "Magic of the Night" Charity Ball (which charity, I don't think Cat ever mentions).
Now, this is all based on the assumption that the note that Lois and Clark read upon arriving at the Moskals is the same one Mrs. Rose Collins receives when Nicky disappears. Maybe it's a second note. The note says to bring the money to the Hob's River Carnival at midnight the following (tomorrow) night.
The next day they spend it investigating and turn up bumpkis. Then they go to watch the ransom drop at the carnival that night. Superman gets hypnotized, and so and so on and so on.
Anyway, like the timeline from "I've Got a Crush on You", it makes no sense to me.