Where do missing socks go?

The answer

In this made-up case from Matter of Record Files, two socks went into the washing machine and only one came out. Inspector Fig checked the laundry basket and under the bed, where he found some very suspicious dust bunnies, and he gave the cat a long look. The cat gave nothing away. Then he noticed that the washing machine looked as if it was smiling. He peeled back the rubber seal around the door, and there was the sock, wet and a little embarrassed. Washing machine guides agree that socks sometimes get stuck in the folds of the door seal on front-loading washers, and suggest pulling back the rubber seal to check for trapped items after each wash.