55 pages 1 hour read

Stephen King

Mr. Mercedes

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2014

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Part 1, Chapter 3

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1, Chapter 3 Summary: “Under Debbie’s Blue Umbrella”

Brady Hartsfield is cruising the streets in his ice cream truck. On his last circuit, he drives past Jerome Robinson’s house. Jerome stops him to buy an ice cream for his kid sister, Barbara. It offends Brady that Jerome and his sister have “white” names; only their dog, Odell, has what Brady considers a “Black” name. By having white names, he feels that Jerome and his sister are violating the natural order. The scene is full of racial slurs and anti-Black stereotypes.

The narrative returns to Hodges as he parks across the street from Olivia’s former home, wondering who inherited her estate after her death. A local security guard stops to ask him what he is doing there. The security guard, Peeples, gives Hodges a different perspective on Olivia. Peeples admits that no one really liked her, but she wasn’t a bad person; she was generous with Christmas gifts for the neighborhood service people, and he thinks it’s a shame that she was harassed and blamed for the murders.

The guard tells Hodges that Olivia’s sister, Janelle Patterson, is in town. Hodges wonders if Olivia’s sister might have kept her papers and if, among those papers, there might be a letter or letters from the killer who sent the letter to Hodges.

Related Titles

By Stephen King

Plot Summary

logo

Bag of Bones

Stephen King

Bag of Bones

Stephen King

Study Guide

logo

Billy Summers

Stephen King

Billy Summers

Stephen King

Study Guide

logo

Children of the Corn

Stephen King

Children of the Corn

Stephen King

Study Guide

logo

Different Seasons

Stephen King

Different Seasons

Stephen King

Study Guide

logo

Doctor Sleep

Stephen King

Doctor Sleep

Stephen King

Study Guide

logo

Dolores Claiborne

Stephen King

Dolores Claiborne

Stephen King

Study Guide

logo

Elevation

Stephen King

Elevation: A Novel

Stephen King

Study Guide

logo

End of Watch

Stephen King

End of Watch

Stephen King

Study Guide

logo

Fairy Tale

Stephen King

Fairy Tale

Stephen King

Study Guide

logo

Finders Keepers

Stephen King

Finders Keepers

Stephen King

Study Guide

logo

Firestarter

Stephen King

Firestarter

Stephen King

Plot Summary

logo

From a Buick 8

Stephen King

From a Buick 8

Stephen King

Plot Summary

logo

Full Dark, No Stars

Stephen King

Full Dark, No Stars

Stephen King

Study Guide

logo

Gerald's Game

Stephen King

Gerald's Game

Stephen King

Study Guide

logo

Gwendy's Button Box

Stephen King, Richard Chizmar

Gwendy's Button Box

Stephen King, Richard Chizmar