“All unwittingly, Mr. Saal gave me just the clue I need,” she declared enthusiastically. “It will be a gigantic step forward if I learn the identity of his mysterious customer.”
“What’s to be gained by it?” asked Louise as she slugged a story and speared it on a hook. “What will be proven?”
“Well, if I’m ever going to solve the mystery I must gather every fact I can,” Penny said defensively. “I aim to learn the meaning of those strange tattoos and, above all, the reason why John Munn was pushed from the bridge.”
“You have your work cut out for you,” responded Louise dryly.
“But Mr. Saal’s information helps. You remember I told you that John Munn’s tattoo bore the word All. Anchor Joe’s was exactly the same except for the word, One. And now Ellis Saal has a customer with two words on his back: For One. Why, I believe I have it!”
Penny sprang from her chair, eyes dancing with excitement.
“You have what?” asked Louise calmly.
“It came to me like a flash—the meaning of those tattooed words! If we haven’t been dumb!”
“Kindly stop jumping around, and explain.”
“Mr. Saal told me he thought several sailors might have had a sentence incorporated in their tattoo. That is, only a word or two was used in each design, but taken as a whole it would make sense.”