Run: 2026-09-23-01M37Q6QZP816XK0142FM8PWCJ

"Right, Bill. Saturday, two o'clock. Little Timmy Pemberton turns six." "Six? That's a lot of presents." "Forty-three RSVPs. I checked the Facebook." "How do we get in?" "Disguise. You're the clown." "Why am I always the clown?" "Because you already own the shoes." "Those are orthopedic, Molly." "They're red and enormous. Commit to it." "Fine. What are you?" "The magician. I make things disappear. Specifically, the gift table." "And the parents won't notice?" "Parents at a kids' party notice nothing. They're hiding in the kitchen drinking wine and pretending to enjoy themselves." "What about the kids?" "Distraction. You do balloon animals." "I can only do a snake." "Then do forty-three snakes. Very slowly." "What if a child sees you with the presents?" "I'll tell them it's part of the trick." "And the bouncy castle?" "What about it?" "I'm just saying, if there's a bouncy castle, I'm going on it." "Bill, we are professionals." "Professionals can bounce." "One bounce. After the presents are in the van." "Deal." Bill paused. "Molly, what if one of the presents is a puppy?" She stared at him for a long moment. "Then we keep the puppy, obviously."