“By the roadside, no. Ça n’est pas pratique. But listen now⁠—me, I have made a little suggestion to M. Carrège. He is graciously pleased to approve of it. In each Bureau de Poste in the neighbourhood it has been seen to that there is someone who knows the Comte de la Roche by sight. Because, you see, Messieurs, the best way of hiding a thing is by sending it away by the post.”

“Well?” demanded Van Aldin; his face was keenly alight with interest and expectation.

“Well⁠— voilà! ” With a dramatic flourish Poirot drew out from his pocket a loosely wrapped brown paper package from which the string had been removed.

“During that quarter of an hour’s interval, our good gentleman mailed this.”

“The address?” asked the other sharply.