It has frequently (and rightly) been remarked that the Renault was hired 3 weeks after Madeleine's abduction. And even though that inspection did produce the one moment for which Grime deserves genuine credit (to have Eddie test the ignition key independently of the car, verifying the source of Eddie's alert and refuting the claim of 'cadaver scent') even that decision has a questionmark. Harrison made plain they were looking for Madeleine's blood. What made Grime think it might be found on the ignition key of a car hired 3 weeks after Madeleine's abduction?
And the inspection at the villa.
Why? Madeleine never lived there.
The only official record of a reason for the inspection following at the gym was that there was a requirement to re-test clothes (sic) 'possibly alerted to' in the villa.
Yet more ambiguous signals from 'Eddie the infallible'?
Of course, Madeleine never went near the gym.
And the only (other) proffered explanation for the inspection at the gym is from Amaral's book.
Harrison is supposed to have relaid a message to Amaral via Almeida that he (Harrison) required premises for a second inspection.
A garage is rustled up in Lagos, spruced and super-cleaned but (apparently) not clean enough, so they went, instead, to a gym (where hours before, hot, sweaty bodies will have been pumping iron and whatever else) and that was clean enough.
In all of this, where does the fiction end and the fact begin?
I have my (possible) answer.
What's yours?
