Run: 2026-03-09-01KKAC8FSRZ7R2WW20EB3DB9D5

Molly studied the suburban fortress from behind a hedge shaped like a startled rabbit. Balloons bobbed over the fence, and somewhere inside a clown honked with the menace of a foghorn. “Bill, focus,” she whispered. “At three o’clock the magician starts. Every parent turns toward the rabbit trick. We slip past the patio, hit the gift table, and vanish before cake.” Bill adjusted his black turtleneck, already dusted with cupcake icing. “Elegant. But what if the clown spots us?” “Then improvise. Fall down, juggle, look employable.” “I’ve never looked employable.” “Exactly. They’ll assume you’re hired entertainment.” Bill peered through the leaves. “There are at least twelve children. Sticky, unpredictable, and fueled by orange squash. I’d rather rob a bank.” “Banks have alarms. Six-year-olds have attention spans.” “And grandparents,” Bill said. “The old ones are sharp. One sniffed me at Easter.” Molly grinned. “That’s why I brought the decoy.” From her bag she produced a glittering piñata shaped like a unicorn. Bill blinked. “We’re distracting children with a larger present?” “With greed,” Molly said. “The purest security exploit.” Inside, the clown honked again. Bill sighed. “Fine. But if I’m forced to make balloon animals, I’m taking hazard pay, plus dental coverage.”