Hutch drove to Merle's yard as fast as his car would allow and swung in between the metal gates. Before he had parked Starsky was out and running into Merle's workshop.
Merle looked like he'd been crying. Starsky was standing staring at his beloved car in disbelief.
Hutch gasped at the awful sight.
The Torino had been assaulted; there was no other way to describe it. Beaten up; assaulted….raped!
Not a square inch of unbroken glass remained – even the lights had been smashed. The tires were flat. Hutch knew that all these things could be repaired, but the worst damage was going to take all of Merle's genius to deal with. The usually gleaming red paintwork with its distinctive white slash was scarred by oozing gray streaks of sludge that left the steel bodywork exposed. Hutch had heard what brake fluid could do to paintwork but this was the first time he'd seen it.
Hutch turned to Merle, his eyes wide in disbelief; "can you fix it?"
Merle nodded. "It's gonna take me while though. I guess even you know that."
Hutch didn't know enough about the details but he was pretty sure that it was going to take a very long time.
"I didn't touch anything Hutch," Merle said quietly. I took one look and called you guys. No-one's been anywhere near it."
Hutch dry-washed his face and ran his fingers through his hair. "How?..I mean, when?..."
"I found it when I arrived this morning. I guess whoever did it knew which car they were looking for."
"But how did they know it was here?"
Hutch looked at his partner. His silence was eloquent. Starsky was in shock. He stared at the car and a stifled sob escaped from his pursed lips.
"It's easy enough to spot my car Hutch; you're always telling me that."
"But who, Starsk? Who would do a thing like that?"
It would be many more weeks before Hutch found the answer to that question.
When the Torino was once again in Merle's workshop and its owner was lying unconscious in ICU.
