“Are you sure about this, Bill?” Molly asked, her eyes darting nervously around the brightly decorated backyard. “Relax, Mol. It’s child’s play,” Bill scoffed, adjusting his oversized clown nose. “They’ll be too busy stuffing their faces with cake to notice us.” Molly scoffed, “That’s what you said about the retirement home! We ended up with a dozen pairs of dentures and a rusty walker.” “Alright, alright. Point taken,” Bill conceded, pulling out a pair of oversized googly eyes and sticking them onto his nose. “But this is different. No seniors, just sugar-crazed kids.” “What about the parents?” Molly asked, her voice barely a whisper. “What if they’re watching?” “They’ll be too busy gossiping about the latest PTA drama,” Bill said confidently, adjusting his oversized hat, which was covered in sequins and had a giant, inflatable unicorn horn. “Trust me, Mol. We’re pros at this.” “Pros? More like clowns,” Molly muttered, her voice laced with disdain. “I still can’t believe you insisted on these costumes.” “Come on, Mol, lighten up,” Bill said, grabbing a handful of brightly colored balloons from a nearby table. “This is fun! We’re the clowns at the party! The only ones who know the real magic trick.” He winked at her, his eyes glinting with mischief. “What kind of magic trick?” Molly asked, her curiosity piqued. “The magic trick,” Bill said, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, “of getting away with all the presents.” Molly couldn’t help but smile, despite her anxiety. “You’re crazy, Bill.” “Crazy like a fox, Mol. Crazy like a fox,” Bill cackled, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “Now, let’s get to work!” He reached for a gift-wrapped box and, with a flourish, tossed it into a giant bag slung over his shoulder. Molly watched Bill’s gleeful pilfering, a mixture of apprehension and exhilaration bubbling in her stomach. She was crazy to be doing this, she knew. But there was something about Bill’s infectious enthusiasm that was hard to resist. Maybe, just maybe, this was going to work. It had to, for Bill’s sake, if not for her own. He had already ordered a full clown costume for her – complete with a tutu – for their next heist, so she figured she might as well commit to this one. As Bill pulled out another box, a small, giggling voice piped up behind them. “Look, Mommy, a clown!” Molly and Bill exchanged a horrified look, their plans quickly dissolving into the chaos of a children’s party. “Uh oh,” Bill groaned, pulling out a red rubber nose from his bag and tossing it in the air. “Looks like we're running out of time.”