Run: 2026-10-08-01M4DA49DX8JTHERFZ1ZQAVQZB

The van smelled of cold fries and wet dog, which Molly decided was the perfect cover for two professional criminals parked outside a birthday party in Maplewood. "Okay," Bill whispered, tapping a set of blueprints spread across the dashboard. "The house has three exits, one alarm system, and a bouncy castle." "A bouncy castle?" "Guarded by a clown." Molly squinted at the paper. "Bill, this is a sketch of a birthday cake." "It's a detailed sketch. Look at the frosting." "Where are the presents?" "Living room, under the tree. Or the table by the door. Or in the corner. Honestly, I think they're just everywhere." "We're stealing from seven-year-olds, Bill." "Eight. Mostly eight. And they've got a lot of Lego." Molly sighed and pulled a ski mask over her curls. "Fine. Walk me through it." "You go in through the back window. I distract the clown. You grab the loot, we're out in ninety seconds." "Why do I get the window?" "Because you fit." "I'm not sure that's a compliment." "It's a fact. I tried it last year at the Hendersons' and got stuck halfway through." "You told me that was a rescue operation." "It was a rescue operation. For me." Molly peered through the binoculars. A woman in a sequined cardigan was chasing a small boy across the lawn, wielding a stopwatch. "Who's that?" "The grandmother. She's the real threat. Watch out for the stopwatch." "Why does she have a stopwatch?" "Musical chairs. She takes it very seriously." "Great. So the clown, the grandma, and the bouncy castle." "And the dog." "There's a dog?" "A big one. Named Biscuit. He's very friendly, which is worse, because he'll lick you and then you're sticky and you can't run." Molly lowered the binoculars. "Bill, I'm starting to think this heist was not very well planned." "It was planned beautifully. The only variables are chaos, cake, and Biscuit." "What's our escape plan?" "We drive away. With the presents. Very fast." "And if the grandmother catches us?" Bill considered this. "We tell her we're here for the magic show." "There's no magic show." "There's a guy in a rabbit costume doing balloon animals. Close enough." Molly zipped up her jacket and reached for the door handle. "Okay. Ninety seconds." "Ninety seconds," Bill agreed, grabbing a empty gift bag from the back seat. "And Molly?" "What?" "If we get caught, I'm blaming the clown." "Everyone blames the clown, Bill." They slipped out into the cool evening, past the wobbling bouncy castle and a suspiciously cheerful piñata, toward a house glowing with laughter and the faint sound of a stopwatch beeping somewhere in the yard.