Yep, I agree. Without any particular reason to squint at that window in the twilight shadows, I'd have just walked straight across diagonally with my eyes on the main entrance.
The way they walked to their apartments
In lilac colour:
This is actually the likely route bundleman took with Madeleine, altho there could well have been an over the pathway-wall pass over from the lifter to Bundleman (imo). The same route in and out across the car park and along the walled path so far, would be walked by all the Tapas group. With everyone, but Gerry, branching off at the lobby to go to their flats.
The lobby was well lit too.
The front of 5A and the front door especially were in darkness.
It is normal for anyone walking at night to look towards any light in the direction they were going and to watch the ground for irregularities.
Thankyou John for the imageSomeone walking IN at the
car park entrance POINT I and after dark would have his/her attention on
the place where all the pathways radiated from POINT P. That is in the middle of the block and that is where they had to go to take their respective paths behind the wall.
IIRC POINT P was lit. pls corredt me if I am wrong on the lit bit.
Additionally the lobby would be lit, so the eye might stray towards that, but not at all towards the front door (out of sight all the way) or the front bedroom window.
All the way from entering the car park at POINT I, both the bedroom window and the front door were at right angles, or worse, to the line of vision. Remember the walker looks towards the direction he is going after dark or towards light.
POINT W is an approximation to the position of Madeleines window.The further the wallker came in, the more acute the the angle of vision to the window and front door (Out of sight competely) until as said by another poster above, the window was virtually behind the walker. Upon entering the pathway, the building curved and the window would be out of view beyond the curve.
So once again no vision of the window or door
Immediately the lobby began, each person would go into that lobby by the shortest route possible and peel off to the front door of their own flat. No vision of any windows there! [see pink lines for a rough idea of how they peeled off]
So no-one would notice the window blinds when coming in. If bundleman had been moving they might notice that however. With the return journey, again the window would, at best, be at right angles to their vision and they would be looking towards the street lights shining thru the entrance to the car park. That's what people do after dark. They look at the light and look in the direction they are walking and at the ground.
So nobody would notice the window blinds if lifted when on the way out either.
It is extremely unlikely that anyone would notice blinds being disarranged in the circumstances And nobody passed by the front door, it was a dead end and recessed away in darkness, completely out of view, so no-one could see the front door for the entire journey, in or out.
Bundleman / the lifter went in and out via the front door. I would lay my bottom dollar on it.
A two minute job including lifting the shutters and opening the window, especially if practiced beforehand.I have just done a similar manouever in my own home in under a minute
