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Note:  All questions posted on this page are posted in chronological order by the date they were received. 

Question 1 - March 21, 2001 -  Julie from IL asked, "When did Raychel come stay with you?  Was it during the time her and Lance were together and married?  Anytime when her and Kyle were together?  Did she relate to you how she felt about these men?  Love?  She doesn't seem like she had a love for money but did she want to be famous?"

Response 1:  I don’t think that fame or money ever entered into Raychel’s equations.  She wasn’t one to get caught up in the trappings of life.  As I have stated before, Raychel was mainly driven by artistic challenges (see “The Bleeding Jewel”). 

As far as love goes between her and either Lance or Kyle, I don’t really know what she was thinking, but I know what she said when they weren’t around.  Raychel felt smothered by Lance, and didn’t believe that he cared about who she really was.  She said that Lance was using her as a personal Muse, someone to help him draw from creatively.  So he ignored those things that he didn’t like or didn’t want to know about and made up things to compensate for them.  Kyle was a variation on that same theme, but with one serious difference.  Where Lance overlooked things he didn’t like about Raychel, Kyle was confrontational with Raychel about them.  That difference was a key difference, as Raychel didn’t respond well to confrontation.  She would not be bullied, and would rather fight than flee.  So although their music worked well together, the two of them made a horrible match.

So, these troubles with her men stated, yes, she stayed with me a few times during her relationships with both Lance and Kyle.  In all truth, she stayed with me before either of them, as I took her in shortly after she joined The Bleeders.  A few weeks later, she moved in with Lance and they began their relationship.  During that time she lived primarily with Lance, but there were times when she would crash at my place just for a change of scenery.  I don’t know if it meant that they were having problems.  As for Kyle, about a year after Raychel’s return from her abduction (see “Kyle Crystallized”), Raychel came and stayed with me for an extended period of time following one of the more brutal arguments between her and Kyle.  So both of them drove her to my apartment at some time, if that is the answer to what you were looking for.

In the end, I don’t truly think that either man was perfect for her.  Lance worshipped her, but Kyle gave her the creative challenge that she sought.  I have no doubt that, if one man ever offered her both, she would have dropped both men in a moment. 

Question 2 - April 2, 2001 -  Julie from IL asked, "Were you ever fond of or attracted/crush with any of Raychel's adoring men (Lance, Kyle, etc.)?"

Response 2:  More or less, yes, but I never followed through for good reasons.  Lance and I were the original parents of The Bleeders and we shared a certain artistic view.  But from the moment they met, Lance was totally committed to Raychel, so that was out of the question.  Besides, we all became best friends.  And Kyle was an immediate attraction of mine (I’m a sucker for dark-eyed strangers).  Kyle had just one thing going against him, his personality.  He mowed through relationships with so many members of The Bleeders so quickly, and cut them off so brutally, I knew that we wouldn’t work.  But I was initially attracted. 

Question 3 - April 2, 2001 -  Julie from IL asked, "Did you ever have a past relationship with any one of them, before Raychel came into the picture? Currently?"

Response 3:  No on both counts.  I guess I’m not much of a relationship person.  I have friends, and the occasional lover, but relationships don’t really work with me.  I don’t know why.

Question 4 - April 2, 2001 -  Julie from IL asked, "Do you know of Lance to keep track of where Raychel was, when she wasn't at home with him?"

Response 4:  You mean did he ever stalk her?  No.  Actually Lance could get pretty wrapped up in writing and lose himself for long periods just writing (even if its not very good – he has incredible focus).

"Whatever happened when she was kidnapped, she was either burying it deep within or just keep-ing it from me.  I honestly hope it was the latter."

Question 5 - April 2, 2001 -  Julie from IL asked, "Did Lance ever attempt to contact her at Kyle's by phone or at Kyle's house, when Kyle was presumed gone. Or any of that when she was at your house?"

Response 5:  Lance was tireless in searching for Raychel when Kyle took her.  We even snuck into Kyle’s apartment looking for her.  Thankfully, they weren’t there.  But Lance never stopped looking.  The times that Raychel was at my house (during their “marriage”) were a different matter.  Once he knew where she was, Lance let her stay with me.  I don’t think Raychel would have stood for it otherwise.  She valued her freedom.

Question 6 - April 2, 2001 -  Julie from IL asked, "I don't want to go too far, but (I) am going to ask anyway... Were you yourself ever attracted to Raychel or had a relationship with her?"

Response 6:  You’re right, you went too far.  I’m not a lesbian.  Not that there’s anything wrong with it.  My love for Raychel was purely artistic.  Platonic and artistic.

Question 7 - April 2, 2001 -  Julie from IL asked, "Do you know if/when Kyle kidnapped Raychel if he harmed her in ANY physical way, or had blackmailed her in some way?"

Response 7:  She didn’t like to talk about that time with me, so I don’t know.  Even during the times that she lived with me to escape Kyle, she still wouldn’t talk about it.  Whatever happened when she was kidnapped, she was either burying it deep within or just keeping it from me.  I honestly hope it was the latter.  If it was the former, I can’t imagine what he did.  She ran from so many things in her life and used her writing to confront them.  She never wrote about the period when she was kidnapped.  She had stopped writing poetry – at least her style of poetry – right after that time.  I would hate to think that Kyle took her best coping mechanism away from her and then subjected her to his own brand of brutality.  That would be chilling.  

Question 8 - April 10, 2001 -  Julie from IL asked, "Do the police consider you or Lance suspects in Raychel's unsolved murder case?  Also do you know much about Lance's drinking, is he an alcoholic? Since you own the club that The Bleeders meet at, do you yourself tend to have problems with alcohol?  Did Raychel, Kyle, or anyone else have drinking or substance abuse problems?"

Response 8:  I’m not getting into people’s personal lives here, so I’m going to ignore your question about everyone’s substance abuse problems and drinking with the exception of one item.  Everyone was meeting at a bar!  Yes, we drank.  But I wouldn’t say we were a bunch of alcoholics.  We are an artistic community who display our art in a bar, not a collection of alcoholics looking for a reason to pretend we’re not drunks.  If we were drunks, Safehaven would be a lot more profitable than it is (not that I need it to be, I’m pretty well set).

Now, about my being a suspect.  I don’t know why I would be a suspect since I was her best friend.  The police have asked me a few things about Raychel’s occasional living with me, about the last time I’d seen her (about a month before), and a few other things I don’t care to discuss further.  But I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that Lance is a suspect.  I know he’s said that the police spoke to him a long time ago and haven’t since.  I don’t think it’s because they don’t think he’s a suspect.  Haven’t you heard of the police tactic where they speak to a suspect, gather all the evidence they need to convict him or her and then come back and get him?  I have!  Anyway, it should be interesting to see if Lance will include this section on the web site.  

Question 9 - June 3, 2001 -  Dave Gonzales from Belleville, NJ asked, "Do you know what Raychel was searching for when she was murdered?"

Response 9:  Raychel was searching for something inside herself during the last couple of months of her life.  I think she was looking to make amends for some of her regrets in life, but more than that, she was looking to re-organize her entire life.  In June of 2000, Raychel had pretty much bottomed out.  The recording of her album was spinning its wheels in the mud because of Kyle McAllister’s continuous fights with Geoffrey MacIntyre, and the stress from that was carrying over into her personal relationship with Kyle.  This stress boiled over during a brutal fight between Raychel and Kyle, causing Raychel (and Sharon) to live with me for a little over a month.  That was one of her lowest points.  After that, Raychel began putting things back together with the help of Anna Fantiani (who will be coming to the Painseeker web site in the very near future).  Anna helped Raychel examine her life and gave her the confidence to re-structure it as she saw fit.  Anna helped Raychel re-establish her connection with her brother, David.  Anna helped bring together Kyle and Raychel on Raychel’s terms.  Anna gave Raychel the confidence to re-enter the studio with Kyle and begin working again with a renewed interest and a different approach.  That Raychel did not have the chance to complete her transition into her new personality is another dark facet of her tragic life.

Question 10 - June 10, 2001 - Carly Everett from Westminster, MD asked, "Has Kyle been accused of Raychel's death? Has Lance been a suspect?"

Response 10: I think both men are suspects for different reasons. Kyle’s reason is obvious. Raychel was murdered in his apartment and he has a history of violent behavior. Lance, however, is less straightforward as a suspect. I think it is unquestionable that Lance was obsessed with Raychel, right down to his "marriage" to Raychel (although I STILL have not yet seen proof of the relationship). But I can’t prove a thing about either one of them. Yet.

"I use the quotation marks whenever I reference Lance and Raychel’s "marriage" because I do not believe that they were married. When I first stated this objection in a Q&A Response, the comment was deleted when Lance posted the Q&A on the web site."

Question 11 - June 11, 2001 - Lindi Mills from California asked, "On the night of Aug. 17th of 2000, from 9 pm to 2 am can you tell us where you were, what you were doing, and with whom you were with? Also, were you involved in the studio disagreement, that occurred earlier that afternoon?"

Response 11: On the night Raychel was murdered, I was at my bar, Safehaven. When asked by the police, I confirmed my presence there through my bartenders.

For the record, I was not involved in any studio fight from that day.

Question 12 - June 12, 2001 - Christie Tindell from Tennessee asked, "Two questions: 1) When addressing Lance and Ray's marriage you always use quotation marks around the term "marriage" - why is this? 2) What date did you see Ray on last and what conversation did the two of you share?"

Response 12: In response to your two questions:

I use the quotation marks whenever I reference Lance and Raychel’s "marriage" because I do not believe that they were married. When I first stated this objection in a Q&A Response, the comment was deleted when Lance posted the Q&A on the web site. Since Lance’s acceptance of Ken Kincaid’s offer (see "Unfinished Business" and "Acquiescence" in the Memories section) this question has been re-stated and has yet to be refuted by Lance Wagner (although that has not stopped him from continuing to assert his claim).

Raychel and I last spoke together at a meeting of The Bleeders on August 12, 2000. While there was an extended period after Raychel’s switch from poet to singer where she did not attend meetings, Raychel had become a regular again after Kyle’s brutal beating of her in June of 2000. Of course, that was initially because she was living with me, but I think she regained her taste for live readings again. Anyway, she had moved back in with Kyle and had done so over my prolonged objections. That last conversation was mainly about that: I was worried for her safety around Kyle McAllister. But Raychel was sure that everything was going to be okay. She said that her relationship with Kyle had changed (she didn’t say how) and that they we going to finish the album on her terms. That never happened. You can be the judge why.

Question 13 - June 13, 2001 - Christie Tindell from Tennessee asked, "Can I please review the police report? Or can you let me know, where I can get a copy of the report?"

Response 13: I do not have a copy of the police report. Perhaps Lance Wagner has that information. He should, if he really is her husband. Don’t you think?

Question 14 - June 13, 2001 - Chrisindi Midell from California asked, "Because you were such an asset to Raychel, could you be in fact the one that hired her bodyguard Sharon Wolfe? If no is the answer to this question, do you perhaps know who did or have an objective guess? Also, can you tell me of any physical abuse that Raychel actually bared bruises to during her involvement with Kyle McAllister? I am curious to know if he was just temperamental or if he in fact attacked her. Could you give a guess on the dates of any bruises or cuts, things of that nature and their exact locations noticed by you personally?"

Response 14: I did not hire Sharon Wolfe for Raychel, although I wish I had hired a bodyguard for her. I probably would have been better off hiring one anyway. Whoever did hire her wasted his or her money.

Raychel was bruised several times during her relationship with Kyle McAllister, only some people did not want to see it. As to his method of attack, I do not know. Maybe you will be able to ask him in the not-to-distant future. Their conflicts were numerous, but the beating she suffered in June was the most serious. I can tell you one thing about Kyle McAllister’s violent streak, he is a headhunter when he is angry.

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