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

“I’ve been workin four tens, and then I’m doin this now on my days off.  The money’s good.” He purses his lips, and nods slowly, “I’m thinkin about doin it full time.”   Carol Ann King does not respond, and the man seems to realize that he’s said too much.  He smiles sheepishly.   King… Read More

Ellie Endsley wakes when the heavy door in a neighboring hotel room slams shut.   The computer on which Endlsey was working when she fell asleep comes to life. She squeezes her eyes shut and turns away. “Off” she pleads, and the light is extinguished.   It’s late. Through the wall, she hears a man’s… Read More

Ellie Endsley and James Carlos Cates are huddled together around a small table. Just down the hall from the kitchen in which they sit is the City of Edinburg’s Council Chamber and public hearing room.   There’s another couple in the kitchen – a man and a woman. They are huddled close, toying with empty… Read More

They’ve been putting out yard signs for more than 12 hours, and it’s just after midnight on a Thursday. Bud’s driving, and Kerry is curled up in the passenger seat, trying to sleep.   “He’s the one, right?” Bud asks again.   Kerry moans plaintively. She tries to turn farther away from Bud, but her… 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