from the checkout line, Everett asked Ellen, “When do you need to be home?”
The customer behind Ellen’s group had partially heard what Everett had said and demanded, “Excuse me!”
“Sir?” Tucker questioned in a confused tone.
“Not you, him,” the customer clarified while gesturing towards Everett. Ellen, Everett and Lance looked back towards the customer. “The boy who’s running his mouth.”
Lance stepped up to the customer and asked, “Is there a problem, sir?”
“Yes, there’s a problem,” the man began. “My girlfriend had failed to buy me shaving cream, razors and aftershave, and because of that, I’m running late for my new job that I have to be completely shaved for. So I’m in no mood in listening to inappropriate mumbles from that boy about me needing to be somewhere.”
“Sir, what you heard was my son asking his girlfriend when she needed to be home,” Lance informed.
The man snarled slightly before saying, “You wouldn’t tell me the truth anyway.”
“Sir, I suggest that you pay for your shaving items and leave,” Lance told him.
“And you will do what if I don’t?” the man challenged.
“Sir, if you don’t want to spend the night in a holding cell for public nuisance, you will pay for your items and leave without saying another word.”
“Call the police,” the man again challenged. “I can break you in half and leave before they show up.”
Lance pulled out his wallet while saying, “I am the police. I’m Detective Lance Delaney.”
“Detective Lance Delaney?” the man echoed curiously as he stared at Lance’s detective badge. “Kristen Delaney’s husband?”
“You know my wife?” Lance asked curiously as he put his wallet away.
“I was an orderly at the hospital where your wife works,” the man began. “Last month your wife had busted me over something and then done me a great favor by giving me the option of quitting instead of getting fired or going to jail. Of course at the time I didn’t see it as being a favor, but I do now. So tell her thanks for me.”
“And you are?” Lance questioned.
“I’m Ike Leman,” he said.
“Mr. Leman, I’m going to do you a favor myself and ignore your comment of breaking me in half,” Lance said.
Ike nodded while saying, “I appreciate that.”
“Now pay for your shaving items and leave,” Lance ordered.
“Yes, Detective Delaney,” Ike said before turning towards Tucker.
Lance turned towards Ellen and Everett before gesturing and repeating, “Let’s move over there, out of the way.”
As Ellen, Everett and Lance were walking away, Ike was paying for his purchases. Dennis was stepping up to the register as Tucker was handing Ike his change.
Ike turned, and as he was walking away from the register, he glanced at Ellen’s group for a moment. Ellen watched Ike for a short time and then turned towards Tucker.
Tucker was walking towards Ellen’s group when Ellen turned to look, and as Tucker stepped up, he said, “Okay, I can talk.”
“You’ve been in the witness protection program for the past thirty-two years?” Ellen asked.
“Yes,” Tucker replied. “And out of those thirty-two years not once have my true identity been discovered. How you—someone who wasn’t born way back then—had managed to identify me, is beyond me.”
“Mom had showed me a picture of her dad… of your dad, and you currently look much like him… from when the picture was taken,” Ellen began. Tucker just grinned. “That fact and the fact that you have a thick scar that encircles your right wrist were all I needed to identify you.”
“And again my handler is going to find it hard to believe that I was identified by a niece who I never met,” Tucker supplied.
“Did Grandma and Grandpa go into witness protection program too?” Ellen asked.
“Yes, they’re in the program as well,” Tucker said.
“They’re alive?” Ellen quickly and surprisingly asked.
“They are…” Tucker was only able to get out.
“Are they here in Savannah, Georgia?” Ellen interrupted.
Tucker slightly grinned before saying, “They live ten minutes from here.”
“I want to meet them,” Ellen insisted.
“They’ll want to meet you too, but I’m not sure how possible it will be,” Tucker said.
“Why not?” Ellen demanded to know.
“Our handler might object to it,” Tucker supplied.
When a confused expression came across Ellen’s face, Lance explained, “There are protocols to follow, Ellen, and the fact that your uncle is currently talking to you activates a relocation protocol.”
“What do you mean?” Ellen demanded.
“There’s a good chance that your grandparents and your Uncle Tucker will be relocated to a different part of the country over you identifying your uncle,” Lance said.
An annoyed expression came across Ellen’s face before she asked, “Why are you in the witness protection program anyway?”
“Your grandparents and I witnessed a man named Liam Seawall murdering someone…” Tucker was only able to get out.
“Any relationship to Clayton Seawall?” Ellen interrupted.
“Liam was Clayton’s father, and if it wasn’t for a man named Alex Anderson, your grandparents and I would be dead too.”
“What do you mean… about Alex Anderson?” Ellen quickly asked as she, Everett and Lance stared curiously at him.
“He worked for Liam, and after we had witnessed the murder, he had allowed us to escape undetected by Liam,” Tucker said. “Of course, by his son Mitchell dating my sister at the time…” Tucker quit talking and stared intensely into Ellen’s face for a brief moment. “Mitchell Anderson is your dad, isn’t he?”
Ellen took a breath before nodding and requesting, “Please don’t hold that against me though.”
Tucker shot Ellen a confused look while saying, “I like your dad. He’s a good guy.”
“Obviously those thirty-two years in witness protection program had left you out of touch with reality,” Ellen replied.
“You think
