Run: 2026-09-23-01M36NMS3P6WXH0861NWEJ2CF6

Molly spread the floor plan across the hood of the getaway car. A cartoon dinosaur grinned up at her from the invitation pinned to its corner. “Children’s party,” she said. “Three o’clock. Presents in the living room. Parents distracted by cake.” Bill peered at the drawing. “Is that a moat?” “It’s a balloon arch.” “Then why does the dinosaur look afraid?” “Because he knows we’re coming.” They had arrived at the house early, dressed as entertainers. Molly wore a purple wig and carried a sack of juggling balls. Bill wore a shiny vest and a name tag that said BILLY THE MAGNIFICENT. “I thought you said I was the magician,” he whispered. “You are. I couldn’t fit ‘Bill Who Is Surprisingly Bad at Sleight of Hand’ on the tag.” At the front door, a harried parent opened up. Behind them, shrieking children chased one another through a hallway decorated with paper stars. “You’re the entertainers?” the parent asked. “Absolutely,” said Molly. “I’m Molly the Marvelous.” “And I’m Billy the Magnificent,” Bill announced, producing a playing card from his sleeve. It was the receipt from a petrol station. The parent glanced at it. “The kids are in the garden. Presents are on the table by the window.” Molly smiled. “Excellent. We’ll begin with a little mystery.” The parent ushered them outside. Molly immediately launched into a juggling routine involving three oranges and one increasingly alarmed rubber chicken. Bill attempted a card trick for a semicircle of children. “Pick a card,” he said. A little girl took the whole deck. “Remarkable,” Bill said. “You’ve chosen all of them.” While the children debated whether that counted, Molly nodded toward the open kitchen window. Bill slipped inside and found the presents stacked beneath a banner reading HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LEON. He stared at the brightly wrapped parcels. One had a tag: TO LEON, FROM NANA. “Can we really take these?” he whispered to himself. Molly appeared at the window. “Of course. We’re thieves, not monsters.” “Right. But what if Nana put socks in this one?” “Then we’ve stolen socks. Try to keep up.” They moved the presents into the laundry basket. The job was going beautifully until Bill lifted a huge box marked FRAGILE and heard a tiny bark. He froze. “Molly.” “What?” “There’s a dog in the present.” “That’s not a present. That’s a dog.” “It’s wearing a bow.” “So do many dogs.” The box wriggled. Bill lowered it gently. A small terrier popped out and licked his hand. At that moment, Leon stepped into the kitchen. He looked at the empty present table, the laundry basket, and the two adults in ridiculous costumes. “Are you stealing my presents?” Molly straightened. “We were conducting a surprise audit.” “Why?” “To make sure they’re good,” Bill said. Leon considered this. “Can you check the big one first?” Bill blinked. “What’s in it?” “A drum.” Molly sighed. “We’re returning everything.” “Even the drum?” Leon asked. “Especially the drum,” said Bill. Outside, the children cheered as Molly resumed juggling. Leon watched from the doorway, clutching the terrier. “Are they going to jail?” he asked his mother. “Probably,” she said. Bill dropped an orange. “Then can they take the drum?” Leon asked. “No,” said Molly. “But we’ll teach you the card trick.”