Molly spread the hand-drawn map across the sticky diner table and tapped her finger on a crayon-colored rectangle. "That's the bounce house. It's our biggest obstacle." Bill squinted at the paper. "Why is it shaped like a dinosaur?" "Because it IS a dinosaur, Bill. A T-Rex specifically. Little Timmy is turning seven and he's obsessed with dinosaurs. I did my research." "Okay, okay. So we avoid the dinosaur bounce house. Then what?" "We don't avoid it. We use it. The presents are being stored in the garage, which is right here." She pointed to a square labeled LOOT ZONE in aggressive red marker. "The bounce house blocks the sight line from the patio where all the parents will be drinking wine and ignoring their children." Bill scratched his chin. "I don't know, Molly. Stealing from a kid's birthday party? This feels low, even for us." "Low? LOW? Bill, do you remember what Timmy's father did to us?" "He foreclosed on our grandmother's house." "He foreclosed on our grandmother's house! While she was still living in it! She had to move into that retirement community where they only serve fish on Fridays." "Grandma does hate fish." "Grandma HATES fish. So we're taking every single present from his precious son's party. It's poetic justice." Bill nodded slowly. "When you put it that way, it does seem fair. But how do we get past the clown?" "What clown?" "There's always a clown at these things. They're unpredictable, Molly. Chaotic. You can't trust anyone who voluntarily wears that much makeup." "There's no clown. They hired a magician named The Amazing Ricardo." "That's worse. Magicians are observant. It's literally their job to notice things." "Which is why you're going to distract him." "Me? How?" "You're going to volunteer for his act. Request the card trick. Ask to see it three times. Really commit to not understanding how it works." "That won't be hard. I genuinely don't understand card tricks." "Perfect. While you're fumbling with the ace of spades, I'll slip into the garage, load the presents into the catering van we borrowed—" "Stole." "Borrowed indefinitely. Then I'll signal you with the bird call and we disappear." "What bird call?" "The one we practiced!" "You never practiced a bird call with me." "I sent you a voice memo!" "My phone has been broken for six months, Molly. You know this." Molly pinched the bridge of her nose. "Fine. New plan. When I'm ready, I'll just yell your name really loud." "That seems less subtle." "We're robbing a children's party in broad daylight while wearing catering uniforms. Subtlety left the building when we started planning this." Bill folded up the map and slipped it into his jacket. "Fair point. What time do we move?" "Right after they sing Happy Birthday. Everyone will be focused on the cake." "You really have thought of everything." "That's why I'm the brains of this operation." "And what am I?" "The distraction."