‘I’m sorry.’ Nate paused. ‘Of course I’m on your side, but I don’t know what else to say. It’s probably only temporary, and whatever Harry’s got in mind might be better. Laura, I don’t get what else I can say,’ he repeated.

And that was the problem. Nate didn’t understand because his job in IT was so different from hers. He had tasks to complete and he got on and did them, and then passed them back to his supervisor. She admired his skills, she really did. She certainly couldn’t find her way around a computer like he did, but he didn’t understand the complexities of her career. And while she could never expect him to, it meant that sometimes she knew she would never get any useful advice out of him. Right now that only made her feel worse.

‘Why don’t you speak to one of the team at Coopers?’ he suggested. ‘Who do you know best?’

Laura shook her head. She couldn’t imagine putting herself on the line like that. ‘Listen, I need to go back to work,’ she said eventually. ‘I’ll talk to you tonight. And I’m sorry I shouted.’

Laura thought about Mia as she took the lift back up to the third floor, and the way she’d been in the interview, perching on the edge of the chair, her eyes intently focused on Laura. Every so often Mia’s gaze had flicked out of the small meeting-room window to the offices beyond, and on a couple of occasions Laura had wondered, frustrated, what she was looking at.

For every one of her questions Mia had given a textbook response, nodding enthusiastically. Laura had put her behaviour down to nerves. No one liked being interviewed for a job, though it had been a surprise when right at the end Mia had given a reassuring little speech as they left the room, about how much she would relish looking after Laura’s position while she was on maternity leave.

Ironically it had been those final words that sealed the deal; but now Laura considered that Mia had actually been very determined she was going to get the job. And that those words felt more sinister than comforting.

Laura saw Mia as soon as she stepped out of the lift, hovering by the water cooler, chatting to Henrietta James. Mia’s head was bouncing up and down with laughter as she wiped a hand across her face. Had Henrietta actually brought Mia to tears with whatever they were talking about? Laura couldn’t remember a time when she had shared a joke with Henrietta, certainly not to that extent, and she realised she was feeling a ripple of jealousy at the sight of the two women being so close.