The Mystery Of The Missing Sign Solved By Savvy Sleuth The Belltown Pub's Awol Placard Becomes A Patterned Purse

--- It took a bit of old fashioned detective work to solve the tale of a missing banner that went AWOL recently at The Belltown Pub. At the Pub on a high shelf, tucked in among other bits of eclectic decor is a one-of-a-kind, haute couture bag. Its pattern is familiar; in fact, it is more than vaguely reminiscent of the bar's logo - a slumbering lion sated with food and libations.

This page-turner of a tale began with a stylish custom banner that was once proudly displayed on the exterior railing of the Pub. Having never had any trouble in the neighborhood, co-owner Erwin Arceo didn't give leaving it outside a thought.

Arceo arrived at work one day, and to his surprise, no banner was proudly flying. Erwin decided a homeless person probably "permanently borrowed" it to keep warm. He was okay with the situation - after all, the banner had a three month run and if it was taken, the person probably had a good reason.

One of the Pub's service staff had a second part-time job at the Pike Place Market. It's what the staffer found a few weeks later at a vendor's stall that became of interest...a re-purposed, stylish shoulder bag made from the missing banner.

The employee called Dave Tolan, another Belltown Pub owner, and between them a decision was reached - that finders keepers didn't necessarily apply. With receipt in hand for the banner and proof of their logo, Dave ventured to the Market in search of the bag with the hopes of also finding the explanation.

The vendor claimed to have found it on the street, a story Dave didn't buy into. Tolan wasn't about to repurchase a re-purposed banner. While the original item had cost $360, the new bag had a $40 price tag, so they agreed on a $5 courtesy price.

The banner that walked has now become a fashion statement.