She Cradled the Smoking Gun: Ch 6
The house looked tranquil but Stone discovered a source of pain
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Research showed that getting shot dead in the Kaye home wasn’t an easy task.
Wire fences encased with thick shrubs and pine trees sealed off the perimeter. Getting through would have meant cutting holes or sawing off limbs but a detailed inspection of the grounds showed that all was intact. Stone ruled out someone sneaking through the fencing.
The property had a few liquid amber trees that were tall with leafy branches and they were farther back from the fencing. Birch trees with their distinctive white bark grew in clumps of three. Lisa Kaye’s rose garden with a few dozen varieties of roses was in a healthy bloom and wasn’t disturbed.
Was the shooting meant for both husband and wife?
Stone was inspecting the premises while Lisa stayed in the kitchen and tried to act like she was busy.
Inside, on the second floor, hung a portrait of a smiling Paul and Lisa Kaye with their daughter during her high school graduation. How badly do photographs lie?
Other photos showed them outdoors hiking and building a sandcastle at the beach, yet they weren’t together in real life. Lisa admitted that they had slept in separate bedrooms. She had the sprawling master bedroom with its generous walk-in closets and the bathroom with an oval tub and separate shower that had more than enough room for two people. A lot of space for one person. He had a smaller guest room down the hall that he used when he wasn’t sleeping at Morgan’s.
Stone glanced around and noticed a pair of silver baby booties on a plaque on top of a chest of drawers with the inscription, To Gwen. We love you even though God blessed you with angel’s wings way too early.
The birth date was beneath the text and a date of death a short time after.
Down the hallway and in the guest room, nothing had looked out of place. The bed had been slept in but there were no signs of struggle. Stone made his way downstairs and joined Lisa in the kitchen.
“Did you see everything you need?” she asked.
“Yes, thanks. I saw the plaque in your room. Who was Gwen?” asked Stone.
Lisa inhaled like the memories were painfully flooding her. “Our first baby who lived for a month.” She braced herself on the counter. “Serious complications.”
“When did Paul move into the guest room?”
“Several months ago. It was his idea. Like it was his choice. I didn’t make him move out, although sleeping in the same bed felt awkward.” She sat down.
“What made him decide to change rooms?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t think of it until now, except that we just didn’t have any closeness anymore. Maybe he felt guilty and the separation made it easier for him to see Morgan and have sex with her.”
“Did you ever go to marriage counseling?” asked Stone.
Lisa sighed like someone sounding defeated. “We went a couple of times. I don’t think it did much good. Paul was so wrapped up in his work. That’s where he got his excitement and satisfaction and I’m sure he got plenty of satisfaction from that woman, Morgan, too.”
“What do you think about the text messages that Paul sent you the night before he was shot? That he wanted to talk things over?”
“I was surprised. I didn’t see them until the next morning.”
“And you responded, ‘okay.’”
“I guess I did.”
“You guess you did?”
“I really don’t remember answering back.”
“You were up in Santa Barbara.”
“Yes, with Selena, my friend.”
“How’d you feel about that?”
Lisa sounded evasive. “Paul says a lot of things. He’s a big talker.”
Stone didn’t press the issue.
Maybe there had once been genuine happiness. He wanted to chart the relationship. Lisa had quietly described how Paul was spending more time with his girlfriend and also discussing new programming ideas with Joel Burman.
Wouldn’t Lisa have been happy that he wanted to talk things over?
She crossed her legs and admitted how Paul had told her several months earlier that he wanted to work on their relationship and how he’d discussed selling off the assets and moving to someplace like New Mexico or Colorado.
“Was he serious?” asked Stone.
“Who knows. He’d get ideas. Let’s face it, LA eventually gets to you, even if you are well off. Escaping to someplace with far less responsibility could seem quite appealing.”
“True.” Stone changed the subject. “Did Paul and Joel Burman get along?”
“I really don’t know. The guy’s such a moron. I knew they argued once in a while. That’s what Paul told me during small talk. You know, when we passed each other in the kitchen.”
“Okay.”
“But nothing that hinted at murder.” Lisa looked briefly at Stone and glanced away.
None of the forensic tests had returned any leads. Stone had walked through the house and tried to follow a couple of different paths he thought the killer could have taken. He mulled over if Paul Kaye had been surprised and did he scramble down the stairs?
Why was his body at the angle that it was?
It seemed hardly likely that Joel Burman would have ambushed him in the early morning hours. Contract murder? Anything was possible but it was highly unlikely. He needed to get in touch and visit Burman.
“Thank you for your time, Lisa,” said Stone, getting up to leave.
“You’re welcome, Detective. But for what, I don’t know.” She sighed. “Time to get the memorial service in order.”
“Must be tough.”
“Yes, it is.” Lisa was quiet and trembled.
Stone got up and left.
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