Thanks DeeDee
So - you are saying that one reason the R.s would wipe the flashlight is so they could claim it wasn't theirs - ?
Of course, assuming that the flashlight was indeed theirs (seems obvious) then, no, an intruder would not need to touch the batteries - presumably there would be batteries already inserted.
OK - so, I'm going to think about the significance of the flashlight to the R.s
Clearly they wanted NOTHING to do with it. And/or wanted whomever else may have touched it to not be implicated. However, at the same time they have it sitting in plain sight (perhaps they overlooked it?) - why not stick it back in the drawer?
Of course, with the flashlight, as with so much else - I think it's their stupidity that makes it all so messy and complicated. In their minds maybe having a 'clean' flashlight 'proves' that someone else was in the house & used it. Whereas I'm assuming they cleaned it & distance themselves from it because it's crucial....however, if it's crucial, why not just stick it back in the drawer clean or not (assuming no other person's prints would be on it but their own?) It all, as usual, gets confusing fast.