Run: 2026-04-24-01KQ0AMF751B4NVSWZHN67E2FG

Molly pressed her back against the brick wall outside the community center, clutching a hand-drawn map of the building. Bill crouched beside her, adjusting his black beanie for the fourth time. "Alright, the party's in the main hall," Molly whispered. "Birthday kid's turning seven. Parents went all out. We're talking mountains of presents in there." "How many mountains are we talking?" Bill asked. "Enough to fill the van. Maybe two vans." Bill rubbed his hands together. "Beautiful. What's the security situation?" "There's a balloon arch." "Okay." "And a bouncy castle." "Outside or inside?" "Outside, Bill. They didn't inflate a bouncy castle indoors." "You never know with these rich suburban parties. What else?" Molly squinted at her notes. "There's a woman named Diane running the games. She seems... intense. Made the kids do an obstacle course before they could have cake." "Obstacle course? For seven-year-olds?" "Timed. With a whistle." Bill winced. "Diane sounds like the real threat. What about the parents?" "Mostly harmless. They're all in the kitchen drinking wine and talking about composting. We walk in wearing khakis, nobody looks twice." "Genius. Khakis. The ultimate camouflage." Molly unfolded the map on the ground between them. "Now here's the plan. The presents are stacked against the back wall near the coat room. You go in the front and create a distraction." "What kind of distraction?" "I don't know. Tell them you're the magician." "The magician?" "The magician cancelled. It's perfect. You do a couple of tricks, keep everyone facing forward, and I slip out the back with the goods." Bill shook his head slowly. "I don't know any magic tricks." "You know the one with the coin." "What coin trick?" "You make a coin disappear." "Molly, I just drop it behind my back. Kids see through that in seconds." "These are seven-year-olds, Bill. They still believe in magic." "Do they though? Because my nephew looked me dead in the eye last week and said, 'You're not funny, Uncle Bill.' He's five." Molly stared at him. "Okay, new plan. You're the guy who brings the cake." "What cake?" "The one that's currently sitting in the back of the van." Bill blinked. "That's our cake? I thought that was for us." "It's a three-tiered rainbow cake, Bill. Why would that be for us?" "Because it looked delicious and I haven't eaten since Thursday." "We are not eating the diversionary cake. You bring it in, everyone gathers around, and I clean out the presents while they're singing." Bill considered this. "I could carry a cake. I can carry a cake very convincingly." "I know you can. That's why I recruited you." "For my cake-carrying abilities." "For your many talents. Cake carrying is just one of them." "That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me." Molly rolled up the map and tucked it into her jacket. "Alright, the party starts at two. We move in at two-fifteen when everyone's deep into pin the tail on the donkey." "How do you know they're playing pin the tail on the donkey?" "I did recon, Bill. I've been monitoring this party for weeks." "You're terrifying." "I'm thorough. Now put on your khakis." Bill sighed and reached for the shopping bag at his feet. "If anyone asks, I'm not actually named Bill." "Obviously. Tonight your name is Derek." "Derek?" "You look like a Derek." "What does a Derek look like?" "Exactly like you. Let's go."