Page 63 of Eclipse Bay

“What’s so kinky about a woman wearing frilly underwear?” she demanded

“Well, the stuff we found wasn’t exactly little,” Torrance said. “Big enough to fit a man.”

“Definitely a heck of a lot bigger than Kaitlin,” Walter confided. “She was real petite, if you recall.”

“There was also a sexy nightgown that was much too big for her,” Torrance continued. “And some really large sparkly high heels.”

“Don’t forget those videotapes,” Walter added.

Hannah stared at him. “You found all that stuff inside her washer?”

“Not exactly inside the washer.” Torrance hesitated. “Well, see, once we got goin’ on the washer, we realized that her dryer exhaust hose probably hadn’t been cleaned in a long time.”

“Dangerous things, exhaust hoses,” Walter put in seriously. “If they get clogged with lint, they can cause fires. Anyhow, we figured we’d do Kaitlin a favor, so after we finished with the washer, we pulled out the dryer to check the exhaust hose. That was when we found the large-sized undies and the videos and all.”

“Behindthe machine?” Rafe asked carefully.

Torrance nodded violently. “Someone had cut out a big chunk of drywall and stuffed the videos and the ladies’ things into the space between a couple of studs.”

“Knew right off the female stuff didn’t belong to you, Rafe,” Walter assured him hastily.

“What was your big clue?” Rafe asked. “Wrong size?”

Torrance guffawed with laughter. “Heck, everyone knew you’d been seein’ a lot of Kaitlin that summer. But me and Walter never figured you for one of them transistors.”

“Transvestites,” Rafe corrected mildly.

Torrance nodded. “Never figured you for one of them.”

“You were right about my taste in underwear. I’m a pretty traditional kind of guy.”

Torrance’s laughter faded. “Anyhow, after Kaitlin died, Walter and I remembered that stuff we found in the wall. That’s what made us think she’d been done in by some out-of-town sex maniac.”

“From Seattle,” Walter concluded.

“Why Seattle?” Hannah asked.

Torrance snorted. “Not the sort of thing they do in Portland.”

Hannah looked at Rafe.

He shrugged. “The man has a point. You know what they say about those folks up in Seattle.”

She turned back to Walter and Torrance. “You said you told Chief Yates about the videos and the lingerie?”

“Yup, figured it was our civic duty,” Torrance said. “But he told us to keep our mouths shut. Said there was enough gossip goin’ around as it was. Town didn’t need any more.”

“Besides, the stuff was gone when we took the chief to Kaitlin’s house to show it to him,” Walter added. “I don’t think he believed us.”

Rafe frowned. “The lingerie and videos weren’t there when you went back?”

“Nope.” Torrance sighed. “That’s the main reason Walter and me didn’t talk too much about what we’d found. Didn’t have any proof, and Chief Yates said we could get in a lotta trouble if we started spreadin’ false rumors. Right, Walter?”

“Right,” Walter said crisply. “We’re not blabbermouths. But we always thought Kaitlin was murdered by that sex maniac she must have been seein’.” He looked at Rafe. “No offense, but everyone knew she was fooling around with other men.”

“Yes.” Rafe did not look at Hannah. “Even I figured it out. Why do you think the guy who was into the lingerie murdered her?”

“Who knows?” Torrance said.

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