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Question 13 - September 9, 2001 - Christine from Evansville, IN asked, "You were able to follow the trail of the person who paid for your services far enough to know that is was paid for with cash under a fake ID. How do you know it was fake? What is the name the account was started under? I assume the bank (as usual) has a copy of the picture ID used to start the account. Were you able to see it? Was this person a man or a woman? Why haven't you made this information more available?"

Response 13:  I haven’t made the information more available because it is a series of dead ends. The name on the account was M. I. Austerbach (as in M.I.A.). There was no Social Security number attached to Mr./Ms. MIA and that is how I know it was a fake. For a bank, there were a lot of holes in the account. For example, that photo ID would have been helpful wouldn’t it? This leads me to believe that the person was a significant contributor to the bank (or a related facility), and that the bank deliberately left holes in the account to cover the identity of the person.

While I would love to see the police (or Nick Graves) go after the bank for obstruction of justice, I know it won’t happen. While I now feel that the identity of my benefactor is an important question, I cannot prove that the person was responsible for the murder of Raychel.

Similarly, my reports to the benefactor were sent to a post office box, and then re-mailed by an overseas service (I assume to M. I. Austerbach). Again, those are not uncommon in situations where the benefactor wishes to remain anonymous.

Question 14 - September 26, 2001 - Julie from IL asked, "What is your relationship with Geoffrey?  Must be close for the phrase I love you, hmmm....  Somehow he doesn't recall a lot of what happened that night, but why would he willingly go out with you and why would you need to be with him to keep him away from Kyle?  I mean its not like they were in the same social structure, how would they run into each other, except for maybe running into one another at Safehaven?  Is that what you were worried about?  Did you and Raychel have this planned out or did you and someone else have this planned out?  It sounds like you wanted to keep Geoffrey away for some reason.  He was drunk and you knew it but you weren't.  It's like you didn't want him alert to the fact of something.  What was it?  How long have you known Geoffrey?  It sounds to me Geoffrey is the one who hired you?  Is he?"

"As to whether or not Geoffrey hired me, I don’t know for certain, but he did meet Raychel about the same time that I began working for her."

Response 14:  Geoffrey and I were very close for a while, about a month or so before Raychel died.  That is why he would willingly go out with me.  I first met Geoffrey in January of 2000 when Raychel and Kyle began working with him on finally entering the studio to record with Terror Trax.  The reason he doesn’t remember a lot of what happened that night is because he wouldn’t shut up about Raychel and Kyle “backstabbing” him.  Raychel and I agreed to separate the Kyle and Geoffrey so that the two wouldn’t run into one another.  It wasn’t that we were afraid the two would accidentally wind up at Safehaven together.  We didn’t want either one of them showing up on the other’s doorstep to start arguing with each other again.  Better to keep them both cooled off and guaranteed away from each other for the night at least.  So I took Geoffrey out to Safehaven where Laura and I kept him sedated as best we knew how.  I didn’t drink (much) because he was going to need a driver by the end of the night.  Also, I didn’t want to lose my edge or allow Geoffrey to get a drunken second wind and escape Safehaven while I wasn’t looking.

As to whether or not Geoffrey hired me, I don’t know for certain, but he did meet Raychel about the same time that I began working for her.

Question 15 - October 17, 2001 - Monroe from California asked, "What is the distance (time wise) from Safehaven to Kyle's apt?"

Response 15:  Ten minutes but I can do it in seven.

Question 16 - October 17, 2001 - Monroe from California asked, "When you and Geoff were at Safehaven on Aug 17, 2000 did Laura ever disappear out of sight for longer than say 10 to 20 minutes?"

Response 16:  A number of times now that you mention it. I just thought she didn’t want to be around Geoffrey any longer than she had to.

Question 17 - October 17, 2001 - Monroe from California asked, "What time does Safehaven normally close, If you are aware?"

Response 17:  Never later than 2 AM.

Question 18 - October 17, 2001 - Monroe from California asked, "When you and Geoff left the bar that night, did you drive him straight home?"

Response 18:  I did. He wasn’t in any condition to go out clubbing.

Question 19 - October 24, 2001 - Monroe from California asked, "What time did the two of you leave the bar?"

Response 19:  We left Safehaven sometime around 11:45 that night.

Question 20 - October 24, 2001 - Monroe from California asked, "Do you pass Kyle’s apt on your way to Geoff’s house leaving Safehaven or anything like that? You wanted to go by and check on Raychel and I am curious if maybe you passed and seen something somewhat alarming to you in a small way...or if you just had a feeling that took you there?"

Response 20:  Kyle and Raychel’s place isn’t on the way straight home. If it was I would have taken a detour to stay away from it. My mission that night was to keep Kyle and Geoffrey away from each other. Driving to the apartment to look in on Raychel and Kyle would have flown in the face of that mission.

Question 21 - October 24, 2001 - Monroe from California asked, "Was your car ride to Geoff’s house, with him drunk, entertaining or is he the type of man that becomes oddly silent on the ride home?"

Response 21:  Over the course of the evening, Geoffrey went through a few changes. At first, when I got him into Safehaven, he was still raving from the argument at Terror Trax. As we got him relaxed a little, he became just talkative. Then he began talking slower, but much louder (I think the tequila shots had something to do with that). But on the ride home, he was a perfect gentleman – a perfect, sleepy gentleman. So the ride home was entertainingly silent for me.

"Had she made it through the door uninvited, I was prepared to incapacitate her, permanently if necessary. But she didn't, so I retreated as Laura gave up and left the complex. I tried to beat her to Safehaven, but a stop light kept me from heading her off at the pass."

Question 22 - December 3, 2001 - Julie from Illinois asked, "Where did you come from on the night of Raychel's murder? Laura said she had left and come back and you were behind her with the only available place for you to come from was the back exit door. Where did you go when you paid the bartender Stacy $100 to not tell Laura about you leaving? Did you follow her that night? Or were you gone the whole time and Laura didn't notice and you were the one in the apartment? And do you still follow Laura? She mentioned that she rarely sees you unless she finds you stalking her?! Also I still do not get the Geoffrey situation, the relationship between Raychel and him...when did they have time for an affair and when did you and Geoffrey get together and why? If you can refer me to one of the memories I will look myself but it had to be all short-lived affairs. Thank you for your time!"

Response 22:  Yes, I still follow Laura every once in a while. If she didn't know it before I wrote "Always Watching . . ." she certainly figured it out afterward. I think it is important to keep following her because I think she knows more than she is telling and this keeps the pressure on her. I expect that one day she will make a mistake and I want to be there when it happens. I'm not certain she knows who murdered Raychel but I'd bet my last cent that she could lead the way if properly motivated. That's why I do what I do.

As you guessed, the first time I followed Laura was the night of Raychel's murder. After our conversation that night, I could occasionally see Laura's face percolating and I knew that she was thinking about going to see Raychel. But since Raychel had directed me to keep Geoffrey away from Kyle, I couldn't take him with me since I thought I knew where Laura was going. I still wanted to be in a position to protect Raychel, and since Geoffrey was already out of commission I thought I was acting in everyone's best interests. So I tipped the waitress and followed Laura's car to the apartment. I creeped through the shadows as Laura began trying to jimmy the lock. Had she made it through the door uninvited, I was prepared to incapacitate her, permanently if necessary. But she didn't, so I retreated as Laura gave up and left the complex. I tried to beat her to Safehaven, but a stop light kept me from heading her off at the pass. So I was caught coming in through the back door. No big deal.

By the way, the affair between Geoffrey and Raychel wasn’t what you might think it was. If you thought they would steal away for hours on end. . . If you thought they spent their time eating wine and cheese in bed . . . If you thought they had plans to run away together . . . you were wrong. At least half wrong. For Raychel, it was all about controlling Geoffrey with short bursts of sex to keep stringing him along. When? Any time Kyle wanted to record something without the steel perfection of Geoffrey judging his every move. Where? Wherever Raychel and Geoffrey could find privacy (usually in another studio in Terror Trax). Why? I think she did it to keep the peace between Geoffrey and Kyle during the recording process, because I don’t think it was love on her part. It didn’t work.

Question 23 - December 19, 2001 - Monica in New Albany, IN asked, "How were you asked to be Raychel's bodyguard? If by phone, was it a male or female voice? If by mail, was it hand written or typed? Also, were you given her whereabouts? An address? Friend’s names she may be with? Places she frequented? Or were you only given Raychel's name and had to hunt her down? And where did you reside previous to working with Raychel?"

Response 23:  I was given the assignment of guarding Raychel by mail. I received an envelope containing a 3x5 photograph of Raychel, her current address (which was Kyle McAllister’s apartment), an official request to serve as Raychel’s bodyguard on behalf of an anonymous benefactor, the conditions of my assignment, and a considerable advance (conditional on my immediate acceptance). Of course, I accepted. All of the written information was printed off a computer. It was just enough information for me to get started on my assignment. I was most impressed by the professionalism of my employer. Considering Raychel’s abrasive nature, her benefactor clearly knew the business of hiring a professional with no questions asked. Since Raychel’s murder, and my attempt to find out who my employer was, that has proved more of a curse than a blessing.

Before I began working for Raychel, I lived in my own apartment. Even though I do not use it very often, I find it a necessary to own one. There are times when my assignments need space for any number of reasons and I need to be away. I’d just rather pay a month’s rent for an apartment than live eight hours out of my car.