The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, #2
The Angel's Game
by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Contents
Chapter 28
Overview
David Martín, aided by Don Basilio and archivist Brotons, scours La Vanguardia’s archives and uncovers that Diego Marlasca officially died by drowning in 1904. The thin, repetitive coverage suggests a cover-up. Avoiding Inspector Grandes, Brotons quietly tracks down the former lead investigator, Ricardo Salvador, and secures his current address, pointing David to the next witness.
Summary
David Martín descends with Don Basilio and archivist Brotons into La Vanguardia’s basement, past the colossal rotary press they nickname “Leviathan.” Brotons’s assistants fetch bound editions from November 1904 as the group divides the search for information on lawyer Diego Marlasca’s death.
They find multiple front-page obituaries dated 23 November 1904, formulaic and uninformative. Scanning surrounding issues, they piece together sparse reports: initial notices call it an accident; a follow-up cites forensic findings that Marlasca drowned, without specifying where or how. The articles echo an official line, likely influenced by Marlasca’s law firm, prompting Brotons to suspect a cover-up.
A mention of the original investigator, Ricardo Salvador, emerges from the reports. When Don Basilio suggests leveraging police contacts, David refuses to involve Inspector Víctor Grandes, also ruling out Marcos and Castelo, hinting at tangled risks. Brotons proposes a discreet alternative approach.
David buys expensive cigars as thanks while Brotons places quiet calls. He learns Salvador was forced out of the police and now works as a bodyguard and investigator for law firms. When David returns, Brotons provides Salvador’s address on Calle de la Lleona, setting David’s next lead.
Who Appears
- David MartínWriter-investigator; leads the archive search into Marlasca’s death and refuses to involve Inspector Grandes.
- BrotonsLa Vanguardia archivist; directs the search, suspects a cover-up, and discreetly locates Ricardo Salvador’s address.
- Don BasilioNewspaper veteran; assists in archive work, suggests police contacts, and is rewarded with a fine cigar.
- Ricardo SalvadorFormer police investigator on Marlasca’s case; now a private investigator. His current address becomes David’s next lead.
- Archive assistantsBrotons’s two aides; retrieve 1904 newspapers that yield obituaries and reports on Marlasca’s drowning.