The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, #2
The Angel's Game
by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Contents
Chapter 31
Overview
David returns home to Isabella’s elaborate dinner and urges her to give Sempere’s son a chance, exposing her uncertainty about love. Later, haunted by Diego Marlasca, David fails to write and broods through the night. At dawn he plots a risky new errand, while Isabella reveals Inspector Grandes visited with enforcers, tightening the pressure.
Summary
David finds Isabella procrastinating with an extravagant dinner she has assembled from items hidden in the house. He teases her about Sempere’s son being in love, pressing her to consider giving the man a chance. Isabella vacillates between denial and curiosity, and David counsels a modest first step if the bookseller’s son ever asks her out.
During dinner, David realizes the tableware belonged to Diego Marlasca, souring his appetite and deepening his fixation on the former tenant’s fate. After the meal he withdraws to the tower study, confronts the photograph of Marlasca, and fails to write a word for his mysterious employer, instead envisioning Marlasca’s burning and staged drowning.
At dawn, after coffee and biscuits, David’s jittery energy shifts into a new plan: to complicate matters further by visiting a conjurers’ shop. Isabella appears, sleepless and cranky, probing David about his secrecy regarding “the boss.”
The tension spikes when Isabella reveals Inspector Grandes visited the previous day with two thuggish assistants, questioned her identity, and left without explaining his purpose. Isabella deflected by claiming to be David’s lover, while David silently recognizes the tightening scrutiny and mounting risk.
Who Appears
- David MartínNarrator; urges Isabella toward Sempere’s son, broods over Marlasca, fails to write, and plans a conjurer-shop errand.
- IsabellaAssistant; procrastinates by cooking, wrestles with feelings about Sempere’s son, and reports Inspector Grandes’ visit.
- Sempere’s sonOffstage focus of conversation; portrayed as sincerely in love with Isabella but unable to express it.
- Diego MarlascaHaunting presence; his belongings and death imagery unsettle David and derail his work.
- Inspector GrandesArrives with two enforcers to question Isabella about David, signaling escalating police pressure.
- MarcosOne of Grandes’ thuggish assistants; accompanies the inspector during the visit.
- CasteloAnother of Grandes’ enforcers; his presence underscores intimidation during the visit.