Chapter 32 of DEVIL MAKE A THIRD opens with Buck Bannon celebrating winning a $2775 bet he made with the male citizens of Aven. Buck bet the men that the Aven Opera House could be built in 30 days.  Buck was a "sure thing" bettor so he was able to "fix" the outcome by forcing his building contractor to work overtime in order to finish the job in 30 days.  The contractor was forced to absorb the overtime work's expenses because Buck threatened to report him to the State of Alabama in Montgomery for the unlicensed use of convict labor in the construction of the Aven Opera House. The opera house was completed on the thirtieth day after the first brick was laid and Aven Mayor Bannon won almost three thousand dollars off a bet he made with his fellow citizens, at least one of whom lost $500.