It is clear that the Minister must keep the letter close at hand, because his blackmail is based on threats of immediate exposure if his demands are not met. However, the Prefect has has the man waylaid and searched several times, and has personally searched every nook and cranny of his apartment on numerous occasions, without success. The Prefect describes how he and his men looked under the carpets, behind pictures and mirrors, combed through every book on D.'s shelves... every place which could possibly conceal a piece of paper. Dupin asks for a description of the letter but is otherwise not encouraging and the Prefect leaves, planning to conduct another- probably fruitless- search of the Minister's property.
Dupin says that, though lacking in imagination, the police are very good at what they do; if the letter was hidden in the Minister's apartments, it would have been found by them. It follows therefore, that the letter was not hidden. Dupin paid a visit to the Minister on some pretext and carefully surveyed the apartment surreptitiously. He notices a card rack hanging by the mantle piece which contains a number of cards and a dirty, crumpled-looking sealed letter. Noting that it looks as if the paper was previously folded in other places, Dupin deduces that this is the purloined letter which has been turned inside out and resealed. He ends his conversation with the Minister and takes his leave, "accidentally" leaving his snuff box behind. The following day Dupin calls on D. again to pick up his box and, as they are chatting, there is a disturbance in the street. A drunkard (in the pay of Dupin) is shooting off a gun. While the Minister goes to the window to see what's happening, Dupin swiftly goes to the card rack, takes the letter, and replaces it with one that looks the same. He then takes his leave, in possession of the real letter.
Dupin tells his friend that D. is an evil genius and that he didn't steal the letter back just for the reward; the Minister once did some evil to him personally, which Dupin wished to repay. He hopes that this incident will lead to the Minister's political ruin and tells his friend that the letter he left in D.'s card holder contained a message which will let the Minister know who was responsible for his downfall.