Three Perfect Liars by Heidi Perks

Author:Heidi Perks [Perks, Heidi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Thrillers, Crime, Suspense, Mystery & Detective, General
ISBN: 9781473572225
Google: sSGvDwAAQBAJ
Amazon: 1797105698
Publisher: Random House
Published: 2020-03-12T00:00:00+00:00

chapter eighteen

On Monday morning Laura opened up her PC and found the number for a woman called Katie Burton. She tapped it into her mobile and strolled over to a spare meeting room, where she closed the door behind her so she wouldn’t be overheard.

It didn’t take long for her to answer. “Hello? Katie speaking.”

“Hi, Katie,” Laura started. “I’m hoping you can help me. I’m calling about someone who used to work for you.”

“Oh?”

“You gave me a reference for her a few months ago. I was wondering if you might be able to give me a bit more insight.”

“Okay. Well I’ll see what I can do. I mean, this isn’t the channel we’d usually adopt.”

“Yes, I realize, and thank you, I’d just like a bit more information.”

“Who are you calling about?”

“Her name’s Mia Anderson. I believe she temped for you. She left seven months ago now, so you might not remember—”

“I remember Mia.”

“Oh, okay, great. Then—”

“But she wasn’t a temp,” Katie said. “I don’t know what gave you that impression; I’m sure it wouldn’t have been anything in the reference?”

“I assumed she was,” Laura replied. “Because she was coming for a temporary role here. I thought she’d said as much in her interview too,” she went on, though now she couldn’t actually recall if Mia had or not. Whether she’d just been led to think it and even if she had, did it make a difference?

“No. Mia was permanent. Can I ask why you’re calling me? What it is you actually want to know?”

“I just—” Laura broke off. “I suppose I was wondering if there was anything more you could tell me about her.”

“Has something happened?” Katie asked.

“No. Not specifically”

“Then I’m sorry, this isn’t protocol. I don’t know what you’re fishing for, but I gave Mia’s reference—”

“I know, I know that,” Laura said, desperate for Katie not to cut her off. “And I also know I shouldn’t be calling you, but I wanted to do this off the record. I wouldn’t be phoning if I didn’t think there was an issue, and I’m sorry I can’t tell you more but please, can you tell me if there’s anything at all I should be worried about.”

There was a beat before Katie answered. “Her leaving,” she said.

“What?” It was the last thing Laura expected to hear.

“Her leaving you high and dry like she did us. Mia had just received a promotion. A good one, by all accounts that I’d let six other applicants down on, and then one day she just called in sick and never came back.”

As Laura listened, she could tell how much Katie was still annoyed by this.

“She didn’t end up working her four weeks’ notice because of it, and I had wondered at the time if it was because she’d found another job. But then when I didn’t get asked for a reference—or at least not until at least two months later—I didn’t think she had.”

Laura shook her head, trying to think back. Katie was right, they

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