The Recruitment of Lucy James — M.K. Turner

Lucy James goes out to celebrate the end of her final exams at university. It's a decision she soon comes to regret because next day she has to attend an important interview, but she can't remember why. Having recently passed the stringent vetting procedure for a top recruitment agency, she thinks she is probably meeting a prospective employer. Or is it yet another member of the agency? Deciding to wing it, she turns up and meets Gloria. Gloria naturally expects Lucy to know why she is there, and almost immediately gives Lucy her first client. Lucy is horrified, but, concerned she might blow her chance if she confesses her lack of knowledge, she sets off on her first assignment. Another two clients are quickly added to her case load, and she finds herself involved with blackmail, missing persons, and a possible murder. Convinced she is working for a covert government agency, Lucy ploughs on with the job. Until one day, out of blue, she is forced to make a decision that could affect everything she has ever known. And having made her choice, she is devastated when it is denied. Nothing can ever be the same again.