Run: 2026-07-01-01KWE8X544YAYD7733TTXJNEWG

Molly stood at the corner of Maple Street, peering through binoculars at the modest suburban house draped in balloons and streamers. A banner reading "Happy 8th Birthday, Timmy!" flapped in the breeze above the front porch. "You're kidding me," Bill said, leaning against their beat-up van, arms crossed. "This is the job? A kid's birthday party?" "Not just any kid's birthday party," Molly said, lowering the binoculars with the flair of someone unveiling a masterpiece. "Timmy Hargrove's birthday party. His grandmother is Eleanor Hargrove." Bill blinked. "The jewelry lady? The one who does those insane custom pieces?" "The very same. And according to my source, she got her only grandson a little something extra special this year. A necklace. Diamonds. The whole nine yards. Wrapped up nice and pretty, sitting under a pile of Tonka trucks and Lego sets." "So we're stealing presents from an eight-year-old." "We're stealing one present from an eight-year-old. The rest is just cover." Bill rubbed his temples. "This feels wrong on a spiritual level, Molly." "You said that about the church bake sale job too, and we walked away with four grand." "That was different. Nobody was wearing a cone hat and eating cake." Molly ignored him, pulling a clipboard from the van's console. "Here's the plan. I go in as the entertainment—magician, specifically. I've got the whole getup in the back. While I'm doing card tricks and pulling rabbits out of hats, you come in through the side gate dressed as catering staff. Nobody questions catering staff." "And then what? I just waltz up to the present table and grab a diamond necklace in a room full of parents?" "You grab the entire present table. Load it into a laundry cart, wheel it out back like you're taking dirty tablecloths to the van. By the time anyone notices the gifts are gone, we're three streets away." Bill considered this, chewing his lip. "What if a kid sees me?" "Kids don't see catering staff. You're furniture to them. Trust me." "And the magician thing—you actually know magic tricks?" Molly grinned and produced a playing card from thin air, flicking it between her fingers before making it vanish again. Bill's eyebrows rose despite himself. "Okay, fine, that's impressive. But if we get caught stealing a birthday present from a child, we're going to be the most hated criminals in state history." "We won't get caught," Molly said, already climbing into the back of the van to retrieve her sequined cape. "And besides, think of it this way—we're not stealing his birthday. We're just relocating one very shiny problem before it causes his grandmother a heart attack when she realizes what she actually spent." "That's not comforting." "It wasn't meant to be. Now put on the little vest. You look like a waiter who lost a bet, which is exactly what we need." Bill groaned, grabbing the folded catering uniform from the passenger seat. "The things I do for diamonds."