That’s when the fun began. I circled for the better part of half an hour, trying to pick out the rental Runabout by the light of a single headlight. With the amount of rain falling, I didn’t feel like getting out and banging on the hood—a trick that usually turns my car from a Cyclops back into a normal vehicle again. I should have purchased a newer vehicle, especially in my line of work. But the Americar was ex-Star, like me, with its police logos painted over and its flashers and siren removed. I was kind of sentimental about it. Especially about the bullet-stopping armor plates built into its bodywork.