rather interesting way to pass the time while they had waited for him and Syneda to return.
Lorren’s eyes sparkled with total happiness. “We’re having another baby!”
“Lorren, that’s wonderful! I’m so happy for the two of you.” Syneda threw her arms around Lorren, sharing her excitement.
Clayton couldn’t help but roar in laughter. Now he had two pregnant sisters-in-law. Evidently his brothers had taken the good book’s directive to be fruitful and replenish the earth rather seriously. “Somehow Lorren being pregnant again doesn’t surprise me,” he said. “It really doesn’t surprise me at all.”
Senator John Harris sat across the table from the other three men in the large conference room. They were all staring at him as if he’d lost his mind. He hated it whenever they stared at him like that.
Finally one of the men, Senator Carl Booker, spoke. “I think you’re taking all of this too personal, John.”
“Because it is personal, Carl. Nedwyn Lansing and I have been at odds with each other since the first day we both arrived on Capitol Hill. The passage of that bill was important to me.”
Matthew Williams, the oldest senator in the group, spoke. “But it didn’t pass, so I suggest you get over it. What you’re proposing to do is crazy. I’m not all that fond of Lansing, none of us are, but I wouldn’t deliberately do anything to destroy his political career.”
“That’s why you and I are different, Mat. I would destroy his career in a minute if I had the right ammunition. All I’m proposing is to get someone to dig into his past, just in case something is there. No one can be that squeaky clean. Even George Washington had skeletons in his closet.”
“Forget it, John,” Senator Paul Dunlap said. “If the media hasn’t uncovered any dirt on Lansing, then there isn’t any to be found.”
The other men in the room nodded in full agreement.
Senator Harris fumed. “That’s not necessarily true.” One by one he looked in the eyes of everyone at the table. “No one has found out about that twenty-two-year-old woman you’ve been two-timing your wife with for the past two years, Mat. Nor have they found out about your lovely teenage daughter’s recent abortion, Paul. And last but not least, Carl, I really don’t think anyone knows a thing about your son’s drug addiction.”
Senator Harris’s eyes crinkled at the corners at the surprised look on each of the men’s faces. He had just stated information they all thought no one knew. “And don’t insult my intelligence by denying any of it. I have everything I need to prove otherwise.”
“What do you want from us, Harris?” Dunlap asked in a voice with an edge to it. “It’s getting late and I would like to make it home before midnight.”
“I want all three of you to back me on this. Ruining Lansing has to be a group effort. And another thing, he has too many close friends who happen to be Fortune 500 CEOs. I find it hard to believe he’s never accepted any type of kickback from any of them.”
“I assume you’re referring to Garwood Industries, Remington Oil, and Turner Broadcasting Corporation?” Carl said. “Everyone knows those three are loyal financial contributors to Lansing’s campaign coffers.”
“Yes.”
“That can be explained,” Paul replied. “Lansing and old man Garwood were friends since Garwood Industries opened their first Texas branch office. And since his grandfather’s death, Kyle Garwood has maintained a close relationship with Lansing.”
After taking a drink of water he continued, “As far as his association with S. T. Remington is concerned, it’s my understanding they were roommates in college. And as for Ted Turner, they became good friends during the time Lansing was the mayor’s assistant in Beaumont, Texas. He encouraged the school board to do an experiment using cable television as a teaching tool for elementary and secondary students. It was a project that proved
Lorren’s eyes sparkled with total happiness. “We’re having another baby!”
“Lorren, that’s wonderful! I’m so happy for the two of you.” Syneda threw her arms around Lorren, sharing her excitement.
Clayton couldn’t help but roar in laughter. Now he had two pregnant sisters-in-law. Evidently his brothers had taken the good book’s directive to be fruitful and replenish the earth rather seriously. “Somehow Lorren being pregnant again doesn’t surprise me,” he said. “It really doesn’t surprise me at all.”
Senator John Harris sat across the table from the other three men in the large conference room. They were all staring at him as if he’d lost his mind. He hated it whenever they stared at him like that.
Finally one of the men, Senator Carl Booker, spoke. “I think you’re taking all of this too personal, John.”
“Because it is personal, Carl. Nedwyn Lansing and I have been at odds with each other since the first day we both arrived on Capitol Hill. The passage of that bill was important to me.”
Matthew Williams, the oldest senator in the group, spoke. “But it didn’t pass, so I suggest you get over it. What you’re proposing to do is crazy. I’m not all that fond of Lansing, none of us are, but I wouldn’t deliberately do anything to destroy his political career.”
“That’s why you and I are different, Mat. I would destroy his career in a minute if I had the right ammunition. All I’m proposing is to get someone to dig into his past, just in case something is there. No one can be that squeaky clean. Even George Washington had skeletons in his closet.”
“Forget it, John,” Senator Paul Dunlap said. “If the media hasn’t uncovered any dirt on Lansing, then there isn’t any to be found.”
The other men in the room nodded in full agreement.
Senator Harris fumed. “That’s not necessarily true.” One by one he looked in the eyes of everyone at the table. “No one has found out about that twenty-two-year-old woman you’ve been two-timing your wife with for the past two years, Mat. Nor have they found out about your lovely teenage daughter’s recent abortion, Paul. And last but not least, Carl, I really don’t think anyone knows a thing about your son’s drug addiction.”
Senator Harris’s eyes crinkled at the corners at the surprised look on each of the men’s faces. He had just stated information they all thought no one knew. “And don’t insult my intelligence by denying any of it. I have everything I need to prove otherwise.”
“What do you want from us, Harris?” Dunlap asked in a voice with an edge to it. “It’s getting late and I would like to make it home before midnight.”
“I want all three of you to back me on this. Ruining Lansing has to be a group effort. And another thing, he has too many close friends who happen to be Fortune 500 CEOs. I find it hard to believe he’s never accepted any type of kickback from any of them.”
“I assume you’re referring to Garwood Industries, Remington Oil, and Turner Broadcasting Corporation?” Carl said. “Everyone knows those three are loyal financial contributors to Lansing’s campaign coffers.”
“Yes.”
“That can be explained,” Paul replied. “Lansing and old man Garwood were friends since Garwood Industries opened their first Texas branch office. And since his grandfather’s death, Kyle Garwood has maintained a close relationship with Lansing.”
After taking a drink of water he continued, “As far as his association with S. T. Remington is concerned, it’s my understanding they were roommates in college. And as for Ted Turner, they became good friends during the time Lansing was the mayor’s assistant in Beaumont, Texas. He encouraged the school board to do an experiment using cable television as a teaching tool for elementary and secondary students. It was a project that proved
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