Three Times Lucky

Mo gets a bad feeling about Detective Joe Starr, the man who walks into the café. He complains about the food options and seems suspicious of everyone. The detective questions Mo about her name and explains to Mayor Little that he is in town investigating the murder of a man named Dolph Andrews, who was shot in his own home. Starr asks about the Thunderbird parked outside, which belongs to the Colonel. Dale goes to get him, and the detective asks if the Colonel has been to Winston-Salem and where he got the car. The Colonel lies and says that he got the car a couple of years ago, even though he’s only had it for a few days. 

Hearing the Colonel lie shocks Mo, but she defends him and tells the detective to leave him alone. The detective goes outside to write down the Colonel’s license plate and drives away, saying he’ll be back. Dale manages to convince Mr. Jesse to put up a finder’s fee for his stolen boat.

In the evening, Mo works on her autobiography, “The Piggy Wiggly Chronicles” (29). She has six volumes so far. Alongside her autobiography, Mo has a second project, which is finding her “Upstream Mother.” Mo was born during a massive hurricane, and her mother tied her to a raft and sent her downstream, hoping it would save her. Mo was found by the Colonel, who arrived in town the same day without any memory of where he came from. Both of them were taken in by Miss Lana, which is why Mo considers herself “three times lucky” (29). Mo creates messages in bottles and sends them with people who go upriver, hoping that one of them will be found by her mother.

Mo has an enemy named Anna-Celeste, who she has disliked ever since kindergarten when Anna-Celeste’s mother told her not to play with Mo. Mo attacked Anna-Celeste but considered it a winning moment. After a short phone call from Miss Lana, who is away seeing her cousin, Mo settles on the couch to have some popcorn with the Colonel.

At lunch the next day, Mr. Jesse complains about the dessert and doesn’t want to pay for it, but Mo insists that he already ate half. After he leaves, the Colonel dismisses Mo and Dale. The friends decide to meet at Dale’s older brother Lavender’s house after Dale stops at home to check on his mother, Miss Rose. Mo is happy to go to Lavender’s because she has a crush on him and always asks if he wants to marry her. Lavender is 19 and always laughs it off. Mo finds Lavender working on a car to race in a local race called the Sycamore 200. Lavender asks if Mo and Dale are interested in coming to the track to time his laps, and they happily agree. Mo gets permission from the Colonel and waits for Lavender to pick her up.

Lavender arrives in a 1955 GMC pickup truck that he spent a lot of time restoring. He brings along a newspaper article that details the day Mo was found floating downstream by the Colonel. They arrive at the racetrack, and Lavender hands Dale and Mo some money to buy food for everyone. Dale gives Mo half her cut from the missing boat reward, and she happily pockets it. They bring some baloney sandwiches back to Lavender, his friend Sam, and Sam’s two twin dates, Crissy and Missy (who don’t want to eat). Mo runs into her teacher, Miss Retzyl, who happens to be on a date with Detective Starr.

The race begins, and everyone watches as Lavender speeds around the track. At one point, Sam tries to call Lavender off, noticing a problem with his tire. Lavender keeps racing and crashes shortly after, his car rolling several times. The doctor is called, and Lavender luckily walks away with some cuts and a possible concussion. Dale suggests that Lavender stay at home for the night, and Lavender agrees despite being at odds with their father, Macon. 

At Dale’s house, Mo explains to Miss Rose what happened to Lavender as Macon sleeps in the other room. Mo wants to stay the night to help look after him. When she calls the Colonel, he insists that she come home because Mr. Jesse was just found dead in his boat at Fool’s Bridge.