No such money, she said, had ever arrived.
Puech confided in a friend, a former French ambassador. The friend's advice was simple: order an audit.
The man Puech now doubted was no stranger. Freymond had been introduced to the Hermès family by his father-in-law, a banker, and Puech treated him as a close friend.
Back in 1999, Puech had signed papers giving Freymond sweeping power to manage his assets, and to dispose of them.