It was a very sad experience to work with someone for three years and to be lied to on the phone by that person mentioning four other people in order to get them fired and for all that was said to have been utterly false. To tell that person they had to admit their lies if they were to work with others and then they tried to force me to continue working with them and in that powerplay I had to appoint lawyers. Why would someone of 74 lie so easily and completely? Because they had been doing so all their lives. Why this behaviour? Because they were convinced of their own excellence despite repeated failures.
Narcissistic behaviour is easy to spot if you know what you are looking for: someone who always tells you they are the best; who tells you they can do anything; who thinks they are beyond reproach.
It is always horrible to be lied to.