Since @spacetimeaccordionfolder graciously gave us permission to use Cecill (see this post), imagine:
Day 1, Noel has a box of chocolates left on his desk. He tosses them because he has no idea who they're from. The Butcher wouldn't send him chocolates without letting him know first. He has no other close friends who might send them. Noel's not risking them being poisoned.
Day 2, there's a basket of yellow mums. They symbolize slighted love in the Victorian flower language, but Noel doesn't know that. He just knows that they shouldn't be there and that Dennis knows he hates the color yellow. He pokes through them with chalkboard pointer before being satisfied there's nothing hidden in them.
Finally, he reads the, which says, "Hello, Sweetie! Xoxoxo 💋" (yes, I took that from Doctor Who.)
And he recognizes the handwriting. Only when he storms into the Chief's office to report the incident does Noel find out Cecill was released on good behavior a week ago.
