The Honeytrap Heartbreaker

16.

The next few days flew by; Ella's phone rang at least once every hour with more questions about her father.

They told her they would be checking the hotel's cameras of where he was staying and any other transportation methods he could have used, they must have thought she was the worst daughter ever because every time they phoned the officers apologised and her reply always remained the same chirpy 'it doesn't matter.' Tom said she could have some more time off work but she wasn't bothered, she assumed her dad had either been tempted back into a bar and drank himself into a coma or met some woman and was shacking up with her and taking her for everything he got before he beat her to a pulp and came crying back to June.

She was doing this solely for her Grandma and that was the part that was tough. When she'd finish work she would have to sit with June for hours on end comforting her and pretending she cared, Tom popped by once which was a welcome relief for Ella, it meant she could have an hour off the there, there routine.

The police didn't really have any leads and Ella didn't put any pressure on them at all, she wanted him to be found for June's peace of mind but then she knew June would tell him how much help Ella was and he would be fooled into thinking she cared and that they had half a chance at a relationship. She didn't buy his bullshit 'I've changed' stuff.

By the time he had been missing a week Ella was getting fed-up off being reassuring to June, she knew it was getting more and more likely he could be dead.

Miami does have high gun crime rates, just like the rest of America. Ella didn't want him dead, mostly for June, she knew she would never get over it, it would break her, she would probably have a heart attack but also she wanted him alive so he would suffer. She wanted him to wake up every day until he was at least ninety and feel miserable. She wanted him to wake up with gut-wrenching regret every morning and drive himself into such a depression that he couldn't even understand death and that still wouldn't be punishment enough for him as far as Ella was concerned.

Tom had demanded she have the weekend off work so once she had woken up she was thinking of ways to postpone listening to her Grandma whine all day. She had begun cleaning her apartment when she was interrupted by the doorbell.

"You have news about my dad?" Ella asked anxiously opening the door.

"Not yet. I was just thinking do you think he could have harmed himself?" Jake pondered.

"No, don't be so fucking stupid." She answered abruptly.

"Ella you've got to understand why I asked, I read your file."

"Was that before or after you had me arrested? Actually what is that even supposed to mean?" She asked confused.

"Well your mother and brother, they were –" Jake said pacing around her apartment.

"You do not get to talk about my family."

"I'm sorry, it's just if your dad blames himself for the accident-"

"Blames himself?!" Ella could feel the anger rising within her.

"Well yeah, grief affects everyone differently." Jake muttered.

"Jake you have got no fucking clue what that man is like!" She shouted.

"Well why don't you tell me Ella?! I'm sick of playing mind reader with you! How can I help if I haven't got the slightest idea what's going on?"

"Oh fuck off."

"No, how about you stop being so God damn difficult and actually speak to me."

"How about you actually do something to help?" She demanded.