Spy perhaps not a lady? (5)
I believe the answer is:
agent
'spy perhaps' is the definition.
(spy is a kind of agent)
'not a lady?' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'not' could be 'nt' (synonyms) and 'nt' is located in the answer.
'a' is found in the answer.
The remaining letters 'ge' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't see.
This explanation may well be incorrect...
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for agent that I've seen before include "who can act?" , "Negotiator" , "Actors' manager" , "One who acts for another" , "Actor" .)