Run: 2026-09-23-01M36NXKWMDFJFQYC3HYB7KFMW

Molly unrolled the blueprint across the laundromat’s folding table. “The presents are beneath the balloon arch. We enter through the kitchen, distract the parents, and leave with everything.” Bill examined the drawing. “Why have you labeled the cake ‘possible guard dog’?” “Because I’ve never met a cake I trusted.” They wore matching party hats, stolen from a discount bin. Bill’s said HAPPY BIRTHDAY; Molly’s said I’M WITH THE BAND, though neither could play an instrument. “What’s the cover story?” Bill asked. “We’re entertainers.” “Can you juggle?” “No.” “Sing?” “Not in public.” “Then we’re clowns.” At the garden gate, children shrieked with delight. Bill peered through the hedge. “There are at least twenty witnesses.” “They’re children. They’ll be distracted by anything shiny.” Molly tossed a spoon into the yard. Every child turned. Bill blinked. “That’s unsettling.” They crept toward the kitchen window, where a small dog awaited them, wearing a tutu and a furious expression. “You said possible guard dog,” Bill whispered. “I was being optimistic.” The dog barked. Molly dropped the sack. Bill dropped the map. A little girl opened the door. “Are you the magicians?” she asked. Bill straightened his hat. “Absolutely.” “Make my uncle disappear!” Molly glanced at the presents, then at Bill. “We could still steal the cake.” “Finally,” Bill said. “A plan with frosting.” They escaped with one cupcake, two paper hats, and a balloon shaped like a disappointed giraffe. Neither admitted the heist had gone badly. Each insisted the dog had been a professional.