Can any evidence be found on the suspects key? Paint flakes or anything? Surely most of it’s been rubbed off from wear and tear, but there must be some evidence of matching a key to a paint scrape. Now whether or not the police would go this route, I don’t know.
On Topic:
JungleLove: it sounds an awful lot like you can’t do much of anything: no evidence she did it. That sucks. Your only other alternative is to retaliate, which is problematical on many levels.
LifeIllustrator: Be careful, you can get in trouble here for “advocating criminal acts.” Happened to me for saying almost exactly what you just said about the brick through the window. I disagree with implementation of that policy by the way, but there again, I’m not a moderator so it’s immaterial… So just a word to the wise.
I don’t mean to get offtopic, but is keying a car some sort of American tradition? I watch “Judge Judy” and I swear half the cases are about people keying each other’s cars. It’s like some sort of ritual, as if it’s the Official Third Stage Of Interpersonal Conflict.
I’ve never keyed someone’s car, had mine keyed, or known anyone to key someone else’s car. KIDS sometimes scratch cars around here, but not adults.
Get creative: put a curse on them. Type up a notice in a nice large font that she’ll have a real hard time missing. Something along the lines of: “TO THE PERSON THAT KEYED MY CAR: You know who you are. Be warned: I have placed a curse upon you. I have beseeched the Gods of Moses and Abraham, and begged to Allah. I have requested the favors of Yog-soggoth and the horrible Cthulhu. I have implored Zeus, Loki, and the imps of Beezlebub” OK, enough - you get the idea - now do your own ggogling for gods imps and demons. Continuing: “You are hereby cursed with pain and misfortune for the rest of your natural-born days. Your loved ones will shun you, your riches will dwindle, and your health will dissipate, leaving you a shell of your former self. Until you make right with me the foolish action you have committed, evil will haunt your life and follow you beyond the grave.”
OK, I know it sounds a trifle corny, but wouldn’t seeing such a thing (especially if it were aimed at you if you were the guilty party) at least plant a seed of doubt? Wouldn’t forever after you wonder, after even something small like stubbing your toe, if the reason it occurred was that curse placed upon you by that guy whose car you keyed way back when? You may not get material justice in the form of compensation, but you can toy with her head forever, especially if you make the curse outlandish enough that she won’t forget it. I remember a friend who I haven’t seen in years - the last time I saw him, he told me he had placed “The Curse of the Manhole Cover” on me, and thereafter, whenever I saw a manhole cover, I would without fail think of him. He was right - it was just too off the wall that I never forgot it. The same thing will work here. Once cursed, they never forget!