Now he came to me with intelligence concerning Vladimir PUTIN, and the Russian President’s real estate investments along the Cote d’Azur with money siphoned from the state’s energy sector.

LIDDY wanted to know if he should investigate further.

I pointed out to LIDDY that we ought not poke our noses onto French turf, but stick solely with Monaco, lest the French services get their knickers in a twist.

(Who could tell for certain if LIDDY, a French national, was not trying to entrap us into conflict with the French for not minding his own business?)

“If there’s an overlap with Monaco, geographically or its national interests, it’s fair game,” I added. “Otherwise, leave it alone.”

LIDDY immediately provided a Monaco dimension:

A Monaco-based company was allegedly engaged in money laundering, and it tied to Putin personally through its parent company in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Another Monaco-based company was doing the same, with links to known Russian organized crime figures.

“Works, for me,” I said. “Do it.”

Meantime, Jean-Luc ALLAVENA (JLA) phoned me on his way by car from Paris to Monaco, about to assume his duties at the Palace. He was already perplexed. The Prince, under pressure from (or tricked by) Raymond BIANCHERI, had signed the document granting Raymond’s son, Franck, plenipotentiary status, which, again, Raymond trumpeted to the media.

The BIANCHERIS had obviously timed this to occur just before JLA’s arrival despite agreement that nothing would be signed and sealed without first consulting the new chef de cabinet.

On another front: I had been corresponding with Tamara ROTOLO, the woman with whom the Prince sired Jazmin Grace GRIMALDI, but Rotolo continued to harbor doubts about whether I truly represented the Prince.

So I sent her an e-mail detailing the state of her negotiations with Thierry LACOSTE:

Tamara,

TL/AG want to create a trust of one million dollars for past expenses.Apparently, you want some of this money for yourself. A stickler, but compromise is possible. They will then give J a monthly amount for five years, followed by an additional five years if she attends university. Your lawyers are asking $250k for legal expenses. Much too much. A major stickler that could scuttle things. And there is another issue regarding J’s legal consent to sign a deal while still a minor. (Trust me now?)

TL will be in LA in early December. Your lawyers are about to receive e-mail from him concerning this. (Let them hear it from him, not you.)

I do remember the thing you want most: For father and daughter to have a relationship.

It blew Rotolo away. Not only did she finally believe me, she began cutting plans to visit Monaco during the Christmas holidays.

On November 21st, JLA and enjoyed a working lunch of take-out pizza at M-Base. JLA had just fired three persons at the Palace, including Raymond BIANCHERI.

The knives came out of their sheaths that night.

Top of the agenda: Philippe NARMINO. He expected to be appointed chief of judicial services. I advised against it. How could the Prince put an alleged crook in charge of justice? Take a stand, send the right signal to everyone—do not make this appointment.

Second: the restructuring of SIGER. I ran through my notes of what needed to be done and promised a written report, as requested by the Prince.

Third: Franck BIANCHERI and his status as plenipotentiary. “The Prince does not make mistakes,” said JLA, meaning that the Prince can never be seen to have made a mistake. They would have to live with it, and learn from it.

But it sealed BIANCHERI's fate. Pending my final written report, it was clear BIANCHERI would be removed as finance minister—it was just a question of when.

Jean-Paul PROUST was told to expect this. The minister of state expressed surprise, but bit his tongue, perhaps overwhelmed by a sudden power surge from the Palace under JLA’s able command.

JLA’s commands were, then and throughout his tenure, fully authorized by the Prince.

But if someone got upset, Albert would say about JLA, “He overstepped his bounds.” Which actually meant, I’m not man enough to stand behind what I asked my chef-de-cabinet to execute.