# Is Daryl's Mail Legit This Time?

You are the lead mail inspector for a large prison. One of your jobs is to check all incoming and outgoing mail for any contraband and for any hidden information or codes, which are often of a criminal nature.

One of the past repeat-offender prisoners, Daryl, has just attempted to mail a Valentine's Day Card to his wife, and the first-level mail inspector has already approved it. If it gets by you, it goes out.

You are suspicious because in the past Daryl has tried everything under the sun to get contraband, plan escapes and even order hits, each attempt making it past the first-level and almost past you. It's as if Daryl wrote the "Null cipher" Wiki page!

Is this Valentine's Day card legit?

Front of the card:

For those who cannot open images:
The front of the card has 16 rows with 12 hearts in each row.
The hearts are colored red (R), white (W), and gold (G).
The words "Happy Valentine's Day" is written in red cursive-style font on a row by itself between the 4th and 5th (from the top) rows of hearts.
The order of colors for the hearts is:

RRWWWWRGGGGG
WRGWGGRGGGWW
GWRGGGGWWWGG
GRGGGGWWWRRW
GGGWGRWGGWRW
WRRGGGWRGGWG
WRRRWGWRWGGG
WWRWGGRWRWRR
GGGRRRGGGGRR
RRGRRGWRWGWW
GGGWRRWWWGWW
GWRGGGRRGWRG
GGGRGWRGGWGG
GWWRRGRRRGGG
GRRGGGWGWRRG
GGGWWRWWWWGW


Inside of the card:

For those who cannot open images:
The inside of the card has a message written in black cursive-style font over a red-to-gold gradient background, with gold in the center then changing to red in all directions.
The message is:

My Dearest Sheila,

I wish I could be with you and
Daryl Jr. this Valentine's Day.
You are everything that is good in my
passionate love. But most significant
to me is your heart of gold. Thank
you for standing by me through all of
this. I long for the day when all
three of us are together again!

With everlasting love,
Daryl


First notice that

The letter contains a crucial hint: I admire your purity and innocence, and even more your passionate love. But most significant to me is your heart of gold.
"Most significant" is a suspicious word choice :) This text passage gives us the following order of colors: White, Red, Gold (purity, love, gold).

Then

Split the string of hearts to make triplets. 3^3 = 27, looks very much like it could be ternary A-Z - W=0, R=1, G=2

This results in

(000=a, 222=SPACE)

mar first six am hide fueld bike n woods east of prison w go bag
March 1st, 6am, hide fueled bike in woods east of prison with go-bag.