# XIII: Who Was She? explained — The Charing Cross Mystery

> Chapter companion for The Charing Cross Mystery by J. S. Fletcher.

## What happens

Matherfield recounts his failed pursuit of Lady Riversreade, whom he suspects is the former Mrs. Whittingham involved in a ten-year-old fraud. He followed her from London to Southampton, where he believed she intended to sail to New York, but she eluded him. He and Hetherwick plan to meet Rhona Hannaford in Dorking to further investigate.

## Themes in this chapter

### Identity and Deception

The central mystery revolves around Lady Riversreade's true identity as the former Mrs. Whittingham and her possible involvement in fraud.

### Secrecy and the Past

The chapter delves into the ten-year-old Sellithwaite fraud and how past secrets resurface to threaten the present.

### Justice and Investigation

Matherfield's detailed pursuit and theorizing exemplify the investigative process, including surveillance and deduction.

## Character check-ins

### Mr. Matherfield

Exhausted and disappointed after losing track of Lady Riversreade in Southampton; he shares his detailed account of the pursuit with Hetherwick.

### Mr. Hetherwick

Listens to Matherfield's report and agrees to help by telephoning Rhona Hannaford to arrange a meeting in Dorking.

### Lady Riversreade

The woman Matherfield pursued; she is suspected of being the former Mrs. Whittingham and of planning to flee to New York, but she disappears before boarding the ship.

### Rhona Hannaford

Mentioned as being at Riversreade Court; Hetherwick is to contact her to arrange a meeting in Dorking.

### Dr. Cyprian Baseverie

Theorized by Matherfield to have been an accomplice of Mrs. Whittingham in the Sellithwaite fraud and to have warned her of danger.

## Key lines

> I’m dead beat—and dead disappointed, too! Such a day as I’ve had after that woman! And what it all means the Lord only knows—I don’t!

Matherfield expresses exhaustion and frustration after his unsuccessful day of following Lady Riversreade.

_Highlights Matherfield's emotional state and the difficulty of the pursuit._

> She asked for a first single to Southampton.

Lady Riversreade purchased a one-way first-class ticket to Southampton.

_Key detail indicating her intended destination and possible plan to flee._

> I’m a believer in making use of the Press; it’s a valuable aid sometimes, perhaps generally, but there are other times when you can do too much of it: it’s a sort of giving valuable aid to the enemy.

Matherfield acknowledges the double-edged nature of sharing information with the press, which can both help and hinder an investigation.

_Reflects Matherfield's strategic thinking about information control._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_charing_cross_mystery_se/chapters/xiii-who-was-she
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_charing_cross_mystery_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_charing_cross_mystery_se/chapters