In the novel Why Didn't They Ask Evans?, Bobby Jones and Frankie Derwent investigate the identity of a mysterious man whom Bobby had found dying after apparently falling down a cliff. Frankie ends up at Merroway Court where she chats with Sylvia Bassington-ffrench about events in her village. She shows a news cutting of the dead man and Sylvia tells her that it looks like Alan Carstairs. Some friends of Sylvia's, the Rivingtons had brought Carstairs to Merroway Court some time ago. Frankie decides that the names she learnt should be followed up and looks through a telephone directory and makes a list of several Rivingtons:
- A. Rivington & Sons, Builders
- B. A. C. Rivington, Dental Surgeon
- D. Rivington, Shooters Hill
- Miss Florence Rivington
- Col. H. Rivington, D.S.O., Tite Street, Chelsea
- M. R. Rivington, Onslow Square
- William Rivington, Hampstead