10
He’d scouted out the carnival this afternoon while the men were setting up—long before the unexpected pleasure of seeing Adam—and knew the Bouncy House was his best bet. A false sense of security came with those plastic, inflatable walls, or maybe just a diffusion of responsibility with such a density of children. Either way, the Bouncy House was one of those places where parents relaxed their guard, milling around outside with the other adults, enjoying a moment’s respite while their kids worked out the pounds of sugar they’d ingested. It was also located at the periphery of the grounds next to a small neighborhood with a dozen or so houses. He’d parked his van there earlier (can’t have a party without balloons), so if he moved quickly, he’d have an easy getaway.
So long as the kid d
