Maddie's 4th Birthday As Per The Bewk

"The Mark Warner staff had brought over stacks of food for us.
The men organized a barbecue and there was wine and beer.
We ate mostly in silence, concentrating on the kids.
 I couldn’t eat much, and alcohol was completely off my agenda.
Fiona recalls that Gerry and I were completely shut down that day, barely able to talk, and although our friends tried to remain cheerful and behave normally to get us through it, they all felt awkward about being at this lovely villa, in the sunshine, in these circumstances.
There was no cake.
Gerry did attempt a toast but he was visibly upset and couldn’t manage much more than ‘I can’t even say happy birthday to my daughter . . .’ before choking up.
The physical loss was more intense than ever. I ached for Madeleine."

Interesting and telling.
 
They found time to organise a bbq with food and beer, in other words a party, even though there was no cake, yet they couldn't find time to actually go out and physically search, neither the mccanns themselves, or their family and friends.We ate mostly in silence, concentrating on the kids.
 Mostly is a qualifier, , what were they talking about when not being silent?
How did they concentrate on the kids?
What kids were present?
Who else was present?

 I couldn’t eat much, and alcohol was completely off my agenda. 
Couldn't  not didn't? Note the qualifier completely in relation to alcohol and her agenda
This tells us alcohol was not off the agenda of others, again telling us this was a party.
She doesn't tell us she didn't drink alcohol, only that it was completely off her agenda


Fiona recalls that Gerry and I were completely shut down that day, barely able to talk,
She doesn't tell us she and gerry were completely shut down, only that their tapas friend fiona recalls they were completely shut down.
Recalls not recalled.
She speaks in the present tense not past tense which can be indicative of story telling not speaking from experiential memory
Notice also the dropped pronoun in relation to barely able to talk.
She doesn't take ownership of being barely able to talk either as first person singular I or in this case  first person plural WE

She doesn't even say fiona told us or said, she tells us what her friend remembers.

Note also she says gerry and i not the expected WE were completely shut down.
They were barely able to talk, not the qualifier BARELY.
This tells us they were able to talk and did so.
What then was discussed at this party?Our friends tried to remain cheerful and behave normally to get us through it, they all felt awkward about being at this lovely villa, in the sunshine, in these circumstances. 
In other words they were having a party and chatted ate and drank and generally had fun.
Given the circumstances and them feeling awkward, why then were they not out physically searching like the Police, locals, expats and tourists were doing?
That would have stopped the awkwardness.
There was no cake.
Anything in the negative is sensitive.I
Is this a complaint that the Mark Warner staff had brought over stacks of food but forgotten the cake?
Is this her trying to persuade the reader that it couldn't have been a party on what would have been Maddie's 4th birthday because there was no cake?
Gerry did attempt a toast but he was visibly upset and couldn’t manage much more than ‘I can’t even say happy birthday to my daughter . . .’ before choking up. What else did he say since he managed a bit more than "I can't even say happy birthday to my daughter"

I would take it as this wasn't them coming out to help search for Maddie or to help in other ways such as handing out flyers etc, instead they all piled in for a free all inclusive holiday.

Given that if a friend of yours had a child genuinely go missing in a foreign country, would you do all you could to help even to going out and physically searching along with the parents and everyone else, or, would you pack your swimming cossie and suncream and go over and hang around the pool eating and drinking whilst the police and locals and ex pats  searched till they dropped to find your friends missing child?

If your friend had a child allegedly abducted in a foreign country and you went over to help in any way you could, what would you be thinking if you were out at the crack of dawn along with police and locals etc searching till you dropped and you saw the parents of said missing child, lounging around by the pool eating and drinking, playing tennis and jogging as well as traveling the world at others expense to countries where Maddie is not likely to be found and meeting celebs and world leaders?

You would be thinking WTF?

Why aren't they out searching like the rest of us to find their missing child?

What would you think if you learned they refused to co-operate with the police?

What would you think if they refused to do a police reconstruction?

What would you think if you learned they threatened to sue anyone who disagreed with their version?

Would you be asking them questions regarding their behavior?

You would be looking for the expected in such a case, you would expect them to do what you yourself would do in the same situation ( even allowing for the alleged neglect which never happened)

If you bought the alleged neglect story, wouldn't you be asking them what the hell they were thinking leaving 3 toddlers home alone every night, especially given they are doctors and know exactly what can happen in a fraction of a second  even with the parents right next to them?

In missing persons cases, especially where a child is involved, you look for the expected, what you yourself would do in the same situation.

What you would say and do, cooperating with LE and taking polys and whatever else was needed.

You would call out to the missing person to reassure them, to let them know you are searching for them and will find them, telling them to try and get help/escape or whatever they can.

This is normal.

This is what is called the expected.

This is what happens in every case from innocent parents and family members.

When you see the unexpected, the non cooperation, the refusal to do reconstructions or take polys or do whatever else is needed, then you have a cause for concern.

You only see this behavior when the parents or family members of the missing person have something to hide such as guilt or guilty knowledge.

Although this is unexpected behavior, it is expected behavior from guilty parties, they act in a specific manner, appearing to cooperate whilst doing the opposite.

Such as hiring lawyers, refusing polygraphs or answering questions.

Refusing to do reconstructions or setting so many demands it cannot be done as it should be.

There is no calling out to the missing person, instead there is often subtle demeaning of the victim, it is their own fault the event happened.

Everything is about how they feel rather than what the victim feels.

The mccanns show every red flag possible regarding their involvement with the homicide, concealing of a corpse and filing a false police report.

They themselves have told the world Maddie is dead and they are involved.

The tapas 7 have told us the same  and have revealed their guilty knowledge.

Do they realise they could be charged as accessories after the fact?

They can face charges of obstruction and perverting the course of justice?

Do they understand that if push comes to shove, the mccanns will throw them all under the bus in an effort to cover their own asses?

I would suggest they get their own lawyers, one per person  and then reveal the truth of what they did and what they know.