Death is one of the heroines of the novel, and she got her nickname for two reasons. First, she was several times on the brink of death—but each time she remained alive and unharmed. And second, all her suitors died shortly after they began courting her. The girl with the terrible nickname Death appealed to Sенька Skorikov, a resident of Khitrovka, so much that he decides on the most desperate actions to win her attention. In the end, the boy becomes both a witness and even an accomplice to a chain of murders; he finds an old treasure; he himself nearly says goodbye to life—and finally he meets Erast Fandorin, who helps him get out of all trouble.