Daniel and Fermín reach the Paseo de la Bonanova in the late morning, both preoccupied by what Father Fernando’s story implies about Inspector Fumero. Fermín insists on stopping to eat, and their conversation turns intimate: Fermín admits how unreliable memory can be, and Daniel confesses that he can no longer remember his mother’s face, voice, or smell. Daniel admits he fears seeing her in photographs and finding only a stranger, and Fermín perceptively suggests Daniel’s obsession with saving Julián Carax from oblivion may be tied to recovering that lost memory.

At noon they take a bus back downtown. Fermín provokes disapproval from three devout women and banters with the driver, while Daniel notices a man from the bar also riding and apparently amused by Fermín. During the ride Fermín dreams about Father Fernando and then turns serious, warning Daniel that parts of what Nuria Monfort told him—especially the convenient connections around Miquel Moliner and Jacinta—sound suspicious.

Fermín decides Father Fernando seemed honest but may have withheld details, and he outlines next steps: he will “pull strings” to investigate Miquel Moliner and advises Daniel to keep an eye on Nuria Monfort, whom Fermín suspects is manipulating the story. He also needles Daniel about Bea Aguilar, urging Daniel to act before “someone else” takes her, framing the moment as destiny that must be pursued rather than awaited.

After they get off near Gran Vía and Paseo de Gracia, Fermín hurries away to prepare for a date with Bernarda, leaving Daniel intending to retreat to books. Instead, Daniel finds Bea outside the Sempere bookshop, disguised as if she has gone to midday mass; both speak tensely, aware they cannot be seen together without drawing attention from Bea’s well-connected father.

Bea admits she hoped seeing Daniel in daylight might restore her sense, but it has not, and she proposes a secret meeting. She hands Daniel a card with instructions to come at four and to tell no one, then leaves quickly. Daniel opens the card to find a familiar address: Avenida del Tibidabo, 32.