Last week, while travelling to the Falkland Islands and back (for a Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians meeting), I knew I would need a good book for the long flights. I chose “Murder on the Malta Express – Who Killed Daphne Caruana Galizia” (by Bonini, Delia & Sweeney), published in September.

The book dedicates each chapter to a personality, group or entity that might have had an interest in seeing Daphne murdered. In a whodunnit Agatha Christie style, but fact-based and journalistic in approach, the authors expose the complex and intricate details of Malta’s underworld in relation to this case.

Daphne’s own voice is heard throughout the book. The authors chose long quotes from her Running Commentatary. Like a muse from classic Greek mythology, her inspiring spirit is present from cover to cover. And since “all concerned deny any wrongdoing” it is almost up to us, the readers, to delve deeper into this as yet unsolved murder. One can almost pick and choose a trail and see where that leads.

Take for instance the chapter called “Sex, Lies and Burner Phones,” in which the main protagonist is ex-Minister Chris Cardona, starring in the infamous German brothel scandal. You can feel Daphne’s pulsating need to share with her avid readers the information she had received about the Minister’s alleged sordid whereabouts, followed by the aggression of his retaliation and her fearless response, always a step ahead of him and his “weakest link”.

Towards the end of that chapter we are given a “free translation of the interrogation of George Degiorgio at police headquarters on 5 December 2017.” At first it might seem a digression.

As Inspectors Keith Arnaud and Kurt Zahra question Degiorgio, the reply is always the same, silence. The accused does not utter a single word.

It is his right of course but it is significant. After all, Daphne Caruana Galizia was murdered in true Mafia style. Omerta' is the notorious code of silence used by the Mafia.

Like all other underworld, criminal organisations, the Mafia thrives and totally depends on this oath of silence. For those involved in the crime, mafiosi are “honour-bound” not to give evidence to authorities. Of course “la piovra” (the octopus, as the Mafia is nicknamed) is also known to infiltrate all sections of society, and to do so successfully. Those who have the courage to stand up to it are always at risk of being blown up dramatically, a warning sign for others not to dare do the same unless they are ready to face the same fate.

So back to the interrogation. The police inspectors remind George Degiorgio that what they have in hand are facts. “Incontrovertible technical evidence.” There is however a certain question, followed by a remark, by Arnaud. It sent shivers down my spine as I read it.

Remember, this is 5 December 2017, less than two months after Daphne’s assassination. Arnaud says, “Why did you have the number of your girlfriend, your partner, written on your arm George, on your wrist? You knew, you all knew that we were coming, you went prepared, without a mobile phone and you had the number written on your arm.”

For two years now, the police have known that the suspected killers had been warned! The circle of those who could have warned them is very small indeed, proof that the infamous tentacles have really penetrated beyond our worst fears. Surely only a handful of people knew about this operation, not more.

While I was travelling and reading all this, the ongoing public inquiry was facing another set of witnesses. Once again, the frequent reply was silence, or failure of memory of sorts. The more “creative” came up with stories about how there was never any conversation about the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, because they preferred to discuss football, primarily Manchester United.

Poor Neville Gafa. He thinks we are all fools or idiots. It kind of reminds me of Chaucer’s epic character, The Pardoner, who believes his own lies, gloats on the “good” he does when, as a matter of fact, he is scheming to make money off the misery of others. Gafa needs a lesson or two from the more experienced when being interrogated. He should have opted to truly shut his trap rather than come up with all the absurdities he told the board of inquiry.

Sadly, with all the complexities of the case and the myriad interests of those who don’t want the truth to come out, we are seriously risking failing collectively as a society. If we don’t realise that our pursuit of justice must persevere, and our demand for higher standards in politics and institutions is imperative, we will not only fail Daphne and her family, we will fail ourselves and future generations.

Let us all look at the families in Palermo who stood up to demand the seemingly impossible. Let us clearly show those celebrating our country’s “normality” — just because the Prime Minister has changed — that nothing has really changed for us or our country. We still demand better because we all deserve better.