“Did you notice anyone nearby who might have been the person to put it in your lorry?” Phyllida asked before Mrs. Panson could start up again.

“I—well, mebbe.” Benny appeared as uncertain as he sounded.

“Can you think about whom you might have seen in the vicinity around that time?” she pressed. “Perhaps Miss Crowley? Mr. Genevan? What about Mrs. Rollingbroke?”

“Oh, yes, ma’am, I did see Miss Crowley as she was parking her bicycle right there.” He gestured vaguely to “right there,” which appeared to be across the street by the village center.

“Did her bicycle have a basket on it, where the cake might have been resting in its box?” Phyllida asked.

“Seems to me it did,” he said, but the tone in his voice made her wonder if he was simply giving her the answers he believed she wanted.

“And what about Mr. Genevan?” Phyllida realized if she could identify two individuals from the Murder Club who might have been together yesterday morning, they could have been the two whose conversation to which she’d been privy. It had been just after nine when she’d overheard it, and although she wasn’t certain of the sex of both of the speakers, she’d been certain one was male. “Or anyone else?”

“I saw Mr. Genevan walk by the front window yesterday morning,” said Mrs. Panson. “He was walking with Mrs. Rollingbroke and Mr. Billdop. I remember because they stopped in front of the shop and I thought they were going to come inside, but none of them did.” She sounded offended. “But that nice Dr. Bhatt came in only a few moments later. He likes the walnut pastries with the glaze—says it reminds him of ballycalva.”

Phyllida grimaced internally. She’d hoped to place only one of the Murder Club members near the bakery at the time the box was put in the lorry, but it appeared that all of them had been in the vicinity. “Were any of them carrying anything?” she asked.

“Not that I recall,” said Mrs. Panson.

“Have any of them purchased anything from you in the last week?” Phyllida asked.

“Heavens, of course they did! Everyone does. Only bakery in town,” Mrs. Panson told her, then she realized Benny was still standing there. “And what’re you doing now, then? Get off with you and get those deliveries made!”

Benny fled, and Phyllida decided it was time for her to make her exit as well. “Thank you, Mrs. Panson. Please add these to our account,” she said, collecting the boxes of tarts.