Run: 2026-09-03-01M1KAGA2GC3VD78CJFWVHTYWS

Molly leaned over the diner table. "Okay, run it again." Bill sighed. "It's a children's party, Molly. We walk in, we take the gift table, we walk out." "Too simple. Kids have eyes. Parents have phones. We need a cover." "Like what, a magician?" "Exactly. I bought a cape." "You can't do magic." "I don't need magic. I need distraction." Molly spread her hands. "I yell 'free pony rides outside,' every kid stampedes, we grab the presents." "There's no pony outside." "They'll figure that out after we're gone." "And the parents? They don't stampede." "They follow their kids. It's biology." Bill tapped the table. "What about the birthday mom? She guards the gift table like a hostage negotiator." "That's your job. You're the cake inspector." "There's no such thing." "There is today. You wear a white coat, carry a clipboard, say the frosting is a safety hazard, and ask her to show you the kitchen." "And then what?" "I steal." Bill considered. "What if a kid asks me to do a magic trick?" "Tell him you make presents disappear." "That's just confessing." "Kids love honesty." Molly pulled out a napkin with a crayon map. "The gift table is in the corner by the juice boxes. We enter at two p.m. during the piñata." Bill pointed. "Why during the piñata?" "Because every adult is praying a kid doesn't get hit with a bat. It's the only time nobody watches the presents." "Except the birthday kid. He'll watch his gifts like a tiny dragon." Molly smiled. "Bribe him with the biggest juice box." "That's not a bribe; that's hydration." "Fine. We tell him the piñata is full of candy. It's not. It's full of marbles." Bill frowned. "Why marbles?" "Chaos. Marbles on a lawn, parents slip, we exit through the side gate." "Slipping parents is a lawsuit, Molly." "We're already committing a felony; a little personal injury adds character." Molly folded the napkin. "We need a getaway vehicle." "I was thinking a minivan with a 'Baby on Board' sticker." "Perfect. Nobody suspects a minivan. We'll pull up with the sliding door open." Bill nodded slowly. "And if the cops show up?" "Then we're just two clowns escaping a birthday. Honk the horn twice." "I'm not honking." "Then we'll be arrested, but at least the kids will think it's street theater." She walked to the door. "Bring a gift bag. Empty. And a lollipop for the tiny dragon." Bill followed. "What's the lollipop for?" "Insurance." "Insurance against what, a toddler uprising?" "Worse. A toddler with a whistle." "You're afraid of a whistle?" "I'm afraid of a whistle in a balloon animal, Bill. That thing can summon parents from three blocks." Bill stopped at the car. "So we bring earplugs?" "No. We bring a second lollipop. One to bribe, one to glue his lips shut." "You can't glue a kid's lips shut with candy." "Not with that attitude." Molly unlocked the van. "Also, we need a fake birthday cake." "Why?" "For the cake inspector. You can't inspect a cake that doesn't exist." Bill groaned. "So now I'm baking?" "Don't be ridiculous. We steal one from the supermarket. And if anyone asks, it's a gift for the birthday prince." "His name is Kevin." "Then the cake says 'Happy Birthday Kevin.' I'll write it in frosting in the parking lot." "You'll get pulled over for defacing a cake." "I'll do it while you drive. Steady hands." Bill started the engine. "I hate that this is starting to make sense." "That's the sugar rush talking." Molly buckled her seatbelt. "Step on it. The piñata won't swing itself."