 By a freak accident, Helena and Falco run into Cossus after helping to search for other survivors in the rubble, and after interrogating Cossus—now revealed to be an operative for the Hortensii—they discover that the Hortensii owned Falco's apartment block.Cossus is lynched and crucified by an angry mob.All at once, Falco and Helena conclude that Severina poisoned Novus as revenge because a building owned by Novus had previously collapsed, killing her lover, and had (as Novus' representative) tried to demolish Falco's home to kill Helena out of romantic jealousy.