Molly and Bill sat in the dimly lit diner booth, the buzz of chatter around them drowned out by their hushed voices. Bill leaned in, tapping a simple map of the community center where the children's party was taking place. "Alright, Molly, are you sure about this? It's a children's party. How do you think we can pull it off?" "Relax, Bill. It's the perfect cover. We'll blend right in amongst the chaos." "Blend in? We're not exactly subtle. You do remember the Santa suit heist, right?" Molly chuckled, stirring her coffee. "This is different. See here," she pointed at the map, "this is where the presents are piled up like a mountain of gold." "A mountain, huh? Still feels a bit dodgy messing with kids' stuff, don't you think?" "What are you worried about? It's not like we're stealing their candy. Just a few toys no one will even notice." Bill sighed, rubbing his temples. "Alright, alright. So how do we get in without raising suspicion?" "Simple. We act like we belong." "Yeah, how? These things are like Fort Knox with parents. Security in cardigans!" Molly grinned. "It's a costume party. We’ll go in as entertainers. I’m thinking clowns." "Clowns? You serious? I'm scared of clowns, Molly." "Scared? You should be more scared of missing this score. We just need wigs, big shoes, and goofy smiles." "Sounds absolutely ridiculous." "But it works. Here's the plan. We roll in around showtime. I'll distract people with balloon animals." "Balloon animals? What am I doing in the meantime?" "Juggling, Bill. You can juggle, can't you?" "Sure, if by juggle you mean drop everything two seconds in." "Perfect. Your fumbling’s part of the act. They'll laugh, it'll buy me time." Bill nodded slowly, skepticism waning. "Okay, fine. Then what?" "Once the crowd's distracted and parents start filming, I'll make my way to the gift table." "And what do I do? Keep making a fool of myself, juggler extraordinaire?" "Exactly. Just keep them entertained. I'll load up our stash in a big clown bag and waltz right out." "What about after? We can't just walk out with bags and not expect some kid to yell 'clowns stealing!'." "Trust me, they'll be more focused on their clown stories than what's missing when we’re gone." "You sound way too confident. Remember the escape?" "The exit's easy. We'll leave in the chaos of the piñata frenzy. Kids screaming and candy flying? We sneak right out." "Alright, but if this goes south..." "It won't. Just follow my lead, Bill." "Okay, okay. So when's this party?" "Saturday at two. Be there on time. And don’t forget the face paint." "Great. More clown nightmares." Molly laughed, patting Bill’s shoulder. "You'll do fine. What could possibly go wrong?" "Everything, Molly, everything." "Think positive. It's just clowns, candy, and a little harmless thievery." "Yeah, right. Nothing to it," Bill muttered. The plan planted, they shuffled out, leaving their mugs and reservations behind, headed straight for the most festive of crimes.