"Good God, what happened to this car?" the automobile paint shop's owner said.
The question was rhetorical. Red and green Day-Glo paint had been sprayed over most of the Taurus.
"Damned kids," Cavanaugh said, although he himself had done the spraying.' "I leave it on the street for a half hour, and this is what I find when I get back."
"The whole thing'll have to be repainted."
"Don't I know it, and the dealership says vandalism isn't covered under the warranty. They want a fortune to repaint it."
The owner got interested. "How much?"
Cavanaugh named so high a figure that the guy would make out like a bandit even if he gave a discount.
"How does a hundred and fifty cheaper sound?" the owner asked.
"Better than I was going to have to pay. But I need the job done in a hurry."
"Sure, sure. What color do you want? The original dark blue?"
"From the day I chose that color, my wife hated it. She says I she wants gray."