Run: 2026-02-24-01KJ8X73ZFNNCJMCJ03PK90CRP

Molly spread the hand-drawn map across the hood of the van and stabbed her finger at a wobbly rectangle she had labeled THE TARGET. "Okay, talk me through it," Bill said, squinting at the paper. "Right. So the party starts at two. We have approximately ninety minutes before the cake comes out, which is when every adult in that house will be distracted singing and taking photos." "What kind of cake?" "Bill." "I'm just asking. For the timeline." "It doesn't matter what kind of cake it is." "It matters to me personally." Molly closed her eyes for a moment. "Presumably a children's birthday cake. Can we continue?" "Sure, sure. Go ahead." "The presents are being staged in the conservatory at the back of the house. I counted fourteen boxes through the window this morning." "You were already scoping the place and didn't invite me?" "You were asleep." "I'm always asleep at seven in the morning, Molly. That's what seven in the morning is for." She ignored him and tapped the map again. "The side gate has a latch but no padlock. We go in during the cake moment, grab everything in the conservatory, and we're back in the van in four minutes." Bill picked up the map and examined it with great seriousness. "You've drawn the bouncy castle." "For reference." "You've given it a little face." "It helps me visualize the layout." "It's smiling." "Bill, I need you to focus." He set the map down. "What about the clown?" Molly went very still. "What clown?" "There's always a clown at these things. I'm not going anywhere near a clown, Molly. That's in my contract." "You don't have a contract." "It's a verbal contract. We agreed after the incident." "There was no incident." "He made a balloon animal that looked exactly like me. It was unsettling." Molly rolled up the map and tucked it under her arm. She breathed slowly through her nose the way her therapist had shown her. "If there is a clown," she said carefully, "you will walk past the clown, you will not make eye contact with the clown, and you will load the presents into the van." "And if he starts making animals again?" "Then I will personally deflate him." Bill nodded, seemingly satisfied. He zipped up his jacket and looked toward the quiet suburban street ahead of them. "So we're really doing this," he said. "Robbing a kid's birthday party." "We are absolutely robbing a kid's birthday party." "That's pretty low, Molly." "The presents are going to a resale charity. We talked about this." "Right, right." He paused. "Which charity?" "Us. We are the charity." Bill considered this. "Fair enough," he said, and climbed into the van.