A mechanic tried to charge me $8,000 for a “broken engine”—but what I took out of my purse made him beg me to rip up the bill.

he noticed me.”

Sophie frowned. “That wasn’t very smart.”

I smiled.

“No, honey. It wasn’t.”

Outside, my car waited in the sun, running smoothly.

A week later, Rebecca called. Kyle had falsified other estimates and ignored testing rules.

She dismissed him.

She also added a written policy: major repairs would now require documented results and a second mechanic’s continue reading …