The only problem with that is that Madeleine subsequently vanished without trace;
True.
The sequence of events I described completely explains the entire scene in the child bedroom (open window, open shutter, no sign of any intruder actually entering, toy left on bed, bedroom door open, curtains blowing, door slamming). Also very significantly it completely explains why the child was not found in that bedroom. It does so without recourse to anything which is not likely, it requires no staging of that bedroom, it matches exactly the description by KM of the scene in that bedroom.
Therefore that must be part one of what happened. Part two must follow on from that, with the important note that the north bedroom has now been exited and therefore part two is in a different room/location.
had she exited the apartment of her own volition, she would not have got very far because she had no shoes on her feet.
Yes one of the nannies was a good detective because that was the first question she asked, where are the shoes, and yes the shoes were still there. Bare feet would in a relaxed scenario rule out going outside beyond balcony, but in this not relaxed scenario bare feet does not rule it out at all. Other things however indicate against going to street.
