Character Analysis
Mo's Sidekick
Dale is Mo's best friend since just about forever, and they do everything together—he's always by her side, even when there are better things to do. For instance, when he wants to go fishing but finds out that Mo has to run the café, Dale decides to help her with the customers instead. And when she decides to investigate Mr. Jesse's murder and find Miss Lana (who's been kidnapped), Dale comes along even though he's kind of frightened:
Dale sat up on the settee. "There's no point arguing when she gets like this," he said. He sighed and scanned the cords binding Mr. Macon's hands and feet. "You're safe, Mama," he said, his voice soft. "And Mo and me are partners. I'm going too." (27.29)
Good friend, right? His relationship with Mo isn't just a one-way street, though, and Mo stands up for Dale all the time, too. She lies for him when he thinks that he's going to be a suspect in Mr. Jesse's case, and even stands up to his abusive dad. They're definitely friends for life.
Worrywart
One of Dale's defining characteristics is that he's a worrier—unlike Mo, who is constantly acting rashly. Dale is always overthinking things, which is especially bad when Mr. Jesse ends up dead and Dale realizes that he's the last person to talk to him. He's so worried about being a suspect that he shows up at Mo's house in the middle of the night to share all his anxieties with her:
I flipped my lamp on, marched to my porch door, and pushed the dead bolt aside. Dale shot in, his face drawn. What am I going to do?" he demanded, scrambling past me. "They'll try me as an adult. I know they will," he said, his voice bitter. "I'll get twenty years at least. I'll be…" (7.55)
Fortunately Dale's fears come to naught when he talks to Detective Starr (not in the middle of the night), who can tell that Dale is not a murderer. Because he isn't—he's just a really good friend.