Run: 2026-10-08-01M4DAEVG97T7WZHABD55S6VQF

Molly crouched behind the hedge, peering through the gap at the glowing house across the street. Balloons bobbed against the windows. Somewhere inside, a child shrieked with joy. Bill slid in beside her, holding a clipboard and a flashlight wrapped in red tissue paper. "Right. Status report." "Forty-two kids, two clowns, one very large bouncy castle," Molly whispered. "And a pile of presents taller than the Christmas tree in my mum's living room." "Presents are the target, Molly. Not the castle." "I'm just saying, the castle is a distraction. Kids love castles. They'll never notice us slipping past." Bill frowned at his clipboard. "Says here the plan is to swap the presents for empty boxes." "Brilliant, isn't it? We're not stealing anything. We're just reorganising." "Reorganising," Bill repeated flatly. "Into our van." "Exactly. Nobody's going to miss a Lego set if they still get a box." "The box is the problem. Did you bring the empty boxes?" Molly pulled a flattened cardboard sheet from her backpack and unfolded it with a crackle. It was clearly a pizza box. "I found these behind the takeaway. Nobody's using them." "Those say Dominos on the side." "Details, Bill. Details." He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "And the wrapping paper? Every kid's going to know their gift is missing if they see a Dominos box under the tree." "Which is why we wrap them! I've been practising. Look." She held up a lumpy parcel, tied with three different ribbons and a sticker reading *Happy Birthday, Gran*. "That's a brick." "It's a very convincing brick." Bill squinted at the window. A man in a panda suit walked past the glass, holding a tray of cupcakes. "Okay, what about the security? There's a dad by the front door who looks like he could bench press the van." "That's Gerald. He's harmless. I sold him a timeshare once." "You sold a timeshare to a man who has a timeshare?" "He had a timeshare. Now he has two. It was a learning experience for everyone." Bill closed the clipboard with a snap. "Fine. We go in at eight, during the cake. Everyone's singing. Nobody looks at the presents." "Perfect. And if anyone asks, we're the entertainment." "We're not the entertainment." "Bill, I've already got the clown wig on." He turned slowly. Molly was wearing a bright orange wig, a bow tie, and one enormous shoe. "Oh, no," Bill said. "Not the shoe." "The shoe is essential."