Dwayne is standing at the back of the room. His sport coat is too narrow in the shoulders, and his tie is askew.   Standing next to him is Marlene Preen, President of the McLennan County Republican Club.  She wrings her hands and scans the crowd for signs of trouble.   “I’m worried he’s going… Read More

Gonzo Garza reclines in his bed, watching the storm rage outside. The rain falls in heavy curtains, obscuring his view of the Capitol’s pink dome.   Tori Mangonel sits naked on the other side of the bed, facing the wall.  Gonzo stares at her back.   “Where’s your car?” he asks.   Mangonel ignores him… Read More

“She was driving and I was in the passenger seat, because the older we got, the clearer it was to both of us that she was the better navigator. She was probably a better driver, although I never conceded that point. We didn’t even talk about who was going to get behind the wheel that… Read More

“My godmother used to say that pro-life advocates are like superheroes: they protect the weakest among us from forces beyond our control.”   Ellie Endsley is standing, wrapped in a robe, typing thoughtfully at a tall, ornate desk. From the honorable Herman “Vitch” Avromovitch’s corner suite on the 45th floor, she can see the sun… Read More

The lunch hour is just beginning as Gonzo lumbers out of the Sam Houston Building tunnel.   He is tired, hung-over, and he needs to take his pills. As he winds his way through the back halls of the Capitol extension, he stops more than once to catch his breath.   The Interim Committee on… Read More