The Devil's Finger is in the Detail

By May I
We thought the Tapas restaurant took 20 covers, just for MW guests [1] (not to be confused with OC guests as we know from the reviews that, at least, Thomas Cook also booked for that particular resort) and so did the receptionist, Luisa Coutinho [2].  

Kate's book has put us right and we now discover they could only cope with 15 [3].

She also confirms Rachael made the block booking for 9 [4] on Monday, as opposed to Russell O' Brien on Sunday, as stated by Luisa Coutinho, the receptionist. Presumably O'Brien, as he is described as tall and not the father of the child [5]

The customers could be assured of attentive service, as there were 7 members of staff on duty on the evening of May 3rd .

I've coped with as many as that at many of our at home gatherings and no dishwasher. I also watched as 4 young people efficiently prepared and served Sunday lunch and drinks for 25 customers, at the same time as running the bar at my local pub.

It's difficult to understand the willingness of prospective customers for the Tapas to queue for a booking for the remaining 6 places every morning, but Stephen Carpenter and Philip Edmonds obviously did.

One would imagine that men of their status wouldn't normally queue for anything, let alone a rather mediocre establishment which offered unsophisticated Quiz Nights as the highlight events.

Those Quiz Nights must have been rather boring, given that it must have consisted of one team of 9 against another of 6?

How did the T9 team manage to lose, given this advantage?  

Mr Carpenter says the whole T9 party were assembled at 8.30., but Kate doesn't mention this detail in her account of the truth.

 There are various accounts of the evening, so you can pick and choose to construct your own version of the night. Or the week, for that matter.

The two Irwin ladies had also made a successful bid for a table that night, but it seems they may not have turned up.

The T9 denied all knowledge of them when questioned by the Portuguese police. They did exist, as they are on the guest list, but no statements were obtained from them.

It looks like Luisa will be blamed for making the note on the reception book, as she says of the Tapas “O referido hóspede, justificou a exigência pelo facto de, no grupo, terem várias crianças pequenas que ficariam a dormir sózinhas, enquanto eles, os pais, iam jantar. Disse ainda que intervaladamente um dois pais se dirigiria aos apartamentos, a fim de verificar se estava tudo bem.”

This paragraph has a typo, as the expression “um dois pais” doesn’t exist in Portuguese. It can be either “um dos pais” (one of the parents) or “um ou dois pais” (one or two parents).

Either way this typo doesn’t alter the general sense of what Luisa had to say: “The mentioned guest justified the demand with the fact that, in the group, they had small children who would be sleeping alone, while they, the parents, would go dine. Furthermore said that at intervals one of the parents (or one or two parents) would go to the apartments, so as to verify that everything was alright.”

Inspector Hugo Silva continues Luisa’s statement with “The deponent put some restraints against the request, as it’s a very requested restaurant and that only has 20 daily places for the Mark Warner's guests, however after insistence from the mentioned guest, the deponent was able to make the requested bookings.” [6]

Inspector Hugo Silva took this statement on May 8th adding “During the present inquiry it was given by the deponent a minute book, handwritten, where is what was referred concerning the bookings to the restaurant “Tapas”’ [7]

What he DOESN'T say, however, is that she had made any notes IN THE BOOK about the group leaving children unattended.

We haven't been able to find ANY evidence of a written note in the RELEASED PJ files, but there is a possible source for Kate's observation that a note WAS written in the book [8], and it may be that the author she was relying on had simply made this interpretation from officer Silva's comment.  

Goncalo Amaral's book refers to the reception book, but in his account, it was on Tuesday May 1st; the day the Portuguese celebrate Labour Day, or Worker’s Day (Dia do Trabalhador).

 
Mr Amaral writes: “Coming the time for the adult’s dinner, the children again stay alone at home. In the restaurant "Tapas"’s reception book, a more diligent worker writes down the dinner booking and annotates that some elements of that group of tourists would get up from time to time, to go see the children who are in the apartments.” [9]

There was another trainee receptionist on duty on this day; Elise Romão, so is the suggestion here that she wrote the note in the book, or even another note?

 Goncalo Amaral later writes about the debate in the police crisis room: [10]:
“- It’s incomprehensible that an eventual predator would have the audacity of going inside an apartment and withdraw from it a child, having to suppose that the parents could arrive at any moment.
- That predator had to know the habits of parents and had to be sure of what he was going to do. - Another reason for that not to fall correctly into place... one of the two: either someone gave him the knowledge of such habits, and there we have to think of the "Tapas" restaurant staff or then he's hung around, studying the vicinity...
- If he studied the vicinity why did he go in through the front door and went out of the window, or even the other way around, the only door that was open was the one that goes to the pool area.
- Yes… there would have been easy to go in and out and run less risks of being seen.
- The child’s parents say that when they noticed Madeleine’s disappearance, the bedroom’s window was open and the front door closed  
- And if they’re not telling the truth?”

 It would be ironic if Kate's book, hinting at an inside job, relied on a source which she had banned from distribution, wouldn't it?

The weather-vane of this story has swung in many directions, but Kate's book seems to be taking us back to its initial position.

To recap, Robert Murat made the following infamous observation to David Jones of The Daily Mail on June 2nd 2007: “ Basically, I'm just an ordinary straightforward guy who's the victim of the biggest f.... up on the planet”, but the rest of the quote is less well remembered “If you want my opinion, it had to involve someone on the inside who works at the Ocean Club.”

So beware, Ocean Club employees, as the finger seems to be pointing back at you!  



Notes: 
[1] Luisa Coutinho says: “Importa referir que a família em questão, veio por intermédio da empresa “MARK WARNER”, esta empresa tem como política tratar de tudo em relação aos seus clientes, ou seja, não há praticamente nenhum contacto entre os clientes e as recepções, uma vez que esta última lida directamente com a empresa Mark Warner.” 
Which translates to: “It should be referred that the family in question, came through the "MARK WARNER" company, this company has as a policy to handle all with respect to their customers, meaning that, there is virtually no contact between the customers and the receptions, since the latter deals directly with the Mark Warner company”  
(PJ Files, VOL III, pgs 569 and 570) 

 [2] Luisa Coutinho says: “Acrescenta que esta família, tal como todos os clientes Mark Warner dispunham de regime de meia-pensão, ou seja, pequeno almoço e jantar.Para o jantar, os clientes podem optar por dois restaurantes, o “Tapas” e o “Millenium”, sendo no primeiro o serviço é “à la carte”, e no segundo é “bufett”, os clientes escolhem náo só pela comida, mas também por questões de proximidade em relação aos seus alojamentos. No entanto, o ora depoente refere que os hóspedes lhe referem que restaurante “Tapas” tem melhor qualidade mas que é difícil arranjar reserva uma vez que tem poucos lugares reservados a clientes “Mark Warner”, mais concretamente 20.” 
Which translates to: “Adds that this family, as all Mark Warner clients had a half-board regimen, ie breakfast and dinner. For dinner, customers can choose between two restaurants, the "Tapas" and "Millennium", in the first being an “á la carte” service, and in the second "bufett", the customers choose not only because of food but also for reasons of proximity to their accommodation. However, the deponent refers that the guests tell her that restaurant "Tapas" has better quality but that it's difficult to get a booking since it has a few seats reserved for "Mark Warner" customers, 20 to be concrete.” 
(PJ Files, VOL III, pg. 570) 
And also says in the same statement: “A ora depoente colocou alguns entraves ao pedido, uma vez que é um restaurante muito solicitado e que dispões de apenas 20 lugares diários para os clientes da Mark warner, no entanto após insistência por parte do mencionado hóspede, a depoenete conseguiu efectuar as reservas solicitadas.”  
Which translates into: “The deponent put some restraints to the request, as it’s a very requested restaurant and that only has 20 daily seats for the Mark warner’s guests, however after insistence from the mentioned guest, the deponent was able to make the requested bookings.”  
(PJ Files, VOL III, pg. 570)  

[3] “Today [Sunday] we’d been able to make a dinner reservation for the adult contingent at the poolside Tapas restaurant. Apparently, this restaurant, a canopied outdoor addition to the bar, catered for only up to fifteen diners in the evenings, and reservations could not be made until the morning of the day in question. Being so close, it was far more convenient than the Millennium.” 
(in MADELEINE, by Kate McCann, published in 2011 by Bantam Press, pg. 52)  

[4] “In spite of what we’d been told about booking the Tapas restaurant, Rachael managed to get a table for nine at 8.30pm pencilled in for the rest of the week after having a word with the receptionist at the pool and Tapas area.”  
(in MADELEINE, by Kate McCann, published in 2011 by Bantam Press, pg. 56) 

[5] Luisa Coutinho says: “Recorda que, no Domingo, 29, um dos elementos do grupo que chegou com a menor Madeleine MacCann , cujo nome desconhece e apenas saber ser do sexo masculino e alto e magro, dirigiu-se a ora depoente solicitando a marcação de jantar para todo o grupo, para toda a semana e sempre para as 20:30 Questionada afirma que o individuo que falou consigo não era o pai da menor, mas outro elemento do grupo que era visto regulatmente com ele.” 
Which translates into: “Recalls that on Sunday, 29, one of the elements of the group that came with the minor Madeleine MacCann, whose name she doesn’t know and only knows to be male and tall and thin, came to the deponent asking for dinner bookings for the entire group for the entire week and always for 20:30. Questioned says that the individual that spoke with her was not the father of the child, but another member of the group that was regularly with him.”  
(PJ Files, VOL III, pg. 570) 

[6] Luisa Coutinho says: “A ora depoente colocou alguns entraves ao pedido, uma vez que é um restaurante muito solicitado e que dispões de apenas 20 lugares diários para os clientes da Mark warner, no entanto após insistência por parte do mencionado hóspede, a deponente conseguiu efectuar as reservas solicitadas” 
(PJ Files, VOL III, pg. 570)  

[7] Luisa Coutinho says: “No decurso da presente inquirição foi entregue pela ora depoente um livro de actas, manuscrito, onde consta o que foi referido relativamente às reservas ao restaurante “Tapas”.” 
(PJ Files, VOL III, pg. 571)  

[8] “It wasn’t until a year later, when I was combing through the Portuguese police files, that I discovered that the note requesting our block booking was written in a staff message book, which sat on a desk at the pool reception for most of the day. This book was by definition accessible to all staff and, albeit unintentionally, probably to guests and visitors, too. 
To my horror, I saw that, no doubt in all innocence and simply to explain why she was bending the rules a bit, the receptionist had added the reason for our request: we wanted to eat close to our apartments as we were leaving our young children alone there and checking on them intermittently."  
(in MADELEINE, by Kate McCann, published in 2011 by Bantam Press, pg. 56)  

[9] “Chegada a hora de jantar dos adultos, as crianças ficam de novo sozinhas em casa. No livro da recepção do restaurante “Tapas”, uma funcionária mais diligente escreve a marcação do jantar e anota que alguns dos elementos daquele grupo de turistas se levanta de vez em quando, para ir ver os filhos que se encontram nos apartamentos.”  
(in MADDIE, A VERDADE DA MENTIRA, by Gonçalo Amaral, published in 2008 by Guerra e Paz, pg. 35)  

[10] “- Não se compreende que um eventual predador tivesse a ousadia de entrar dentro de um apartamento e dali retirado uma criança, tendo que supor que os pais podiam chegar a qualquer momento.  
- Esse predador tinha que conhecer os hábitos dos pais e estar seguro do que iria fazer. 
- Mais uma razão para isso não bater certo... das duas uma: ou alguém lhe deu a conhecer tais hábitos , e aí temos que pensar nos funcionários do restaurante “Tapas”, ou então ele andou ali a rondar e a estudar o terreno...
- Se estudou o terreno porque entrou pela porta principal e saiu pela janela, ou mesmo ao contrário, a única porta que se encontrava aberta é a que dá para a zona das piscinas. 
- Sim.... por aí seria fácil entrar e sair e corria menos riscos de ser visto. 
- Os pais da criança dizem que a janela do quarto se encontrava aberta e a porta principal fechada, quando deram pelo desaparecimento de Madeleine.  
- E se eles não estiverem a falar verdade?” 
(in MADDIE, A VERDADE DA MENTIRA, by Gonçalo Amaral, published in 2008 by Guerra e Paz, pg. 61)