The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, #2
The Angel's Game
by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Contents
Act Three - The Angel’s Game — Chapter 4
Overview
Isabella reveals a witness saw Señor Sempere arguing with an older woman over David’s novel The Steps of Heaven just before he collapsed, and the book is missing. David suspects the actress Irene Sabino. Isabella stays to support him, considers joining the Semperes’ bookshop, and urges David to search for the missing Cristina amid conflicting reports.
Summary
Returning from a grocer’s, David Martín and Isabella discuss the failing finances of the Sempere bookshop, mounting creditors, and offers to buy the premises. Isabella doubts survival despite Sempere’s son’s optimism, and presses David to confirm he has left his mysterious employer.
Isabella then shares a troubling account from neighbor Don Anacleto: on the afternoon Señor Sempere died, he argued loudly with an unfamiliar older woman in the shop about a book. After Sempere’s son briefly stepped out, he returned to find his father collapsed. The book in question was David’s The Steps of Heaven, from Sempere’s private collection, now missing and unrecorded in the ledger.
Left alone, David reflects that Sempere died defending a book he believed held David’s soul. When Isabella returns, David identifies the likely intruder as Irene Sabino, an actress from old photographs. They share quiet companionship by the fire; Isabella recounts a vivid dream of a son and decides she would rather live life than write about it.
Talk turns to Cristina. Isabella reports that Gustavo Barceló heard from Pedro Vidal that Cristina left with David over a month earlier, contradicting David’s claim he has not seen her since Sempere’s death. The discrepancy deepens the mystery of Cristina’s disappearance and unsettles David.
At dawn, Isabella says she is considering accepting Sempere’s son’s proposal regarding the bookshop. Before leaving, she urges David to find Cristina and tells him to declare his love, then departs after a brief kiss.
Who Appears
- IsabellaDavid’s assistant and friend; reveals witness to Sempere’s fatal argument, comforts David, considers joining the bookshop, urges him to find Cristina.
- David MartínNarrator; learns Sempere died over his book, suspects Irene Sabino, worries about missing Cristina, resolves amid grief.
- Señor SempereDeceased bookseller; argued over David’s novel before collapsing, his private copy of The Steps of Heaven now missing.
- Don AnacletoNeighbor who witnessed Sempere arguing with an older woman about David’s book shortly before Sempere collapsed.
- Irene SabinoActress from old photos; David suspects she was the woman who took his book before Sempere’s death.
- CristinaDavid’s love; missing. Conflicting reports suggest she left with David, but he has not seen her.
- Sempere’s sonCurrent bookseller; optimistic despite dire finances; briefly absent when his father collapsed; proposal for Isabella to join.
- Gustavo BarcelóBookseller who tells Isabella that Vidal claims Cristina left with David a month ago.
- Pedro VidalCristina’s husband; claims Cristina left with David, deepening confusion over her disappearance.