THE FO OF A B737-300 IS QUERIED POSTFLT BY THE DOMICILE CHIEF PLT AS TO FURTHER INFO RELATED TO A 'MISSING' ORD BASED CABIN ATTENDANT THAT HAD LEFT THE FLT FOR COMMUTING PURPOSES IN MKC. ALSO; THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS TRYING TO AVOID MANDATORY DRUG TESTING.

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UNKNOWN LOCATION OF FLT ATTENDANT AFTER FLT. ON THE MORNING OF MAY/WED/02; CHIEF PLT CALLED ME AT HOME. I WAS CAUGHT OFF GUARD WHEN HE ASKED ME WHAT I KNEW ABOUT THE 'MISSING FLT ATTENDANT.' MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS THAT A FLT ATTENDANT HAD BEEN ABDUCTED WHILE WALKING TO A CRASH PAD OR WALKING TO THEIR CAR IN THE PARKING LOT. AFTER REALIZING MY MISUNDERSTANDING; CHIEF INFORMED ME THAT ONE OF OUR FLT ATTENDANTS (I WAS FO ON FLT) HAD LEFT THE AIRPLANE IN KANSAS CITY TO BEGIN A COMMUTE BACK HOME (WITH NON-REVENUE FORMS TO PROVE IT); THEREFORE LEAVING 2 FLT ATTENDANTS TO WORK THE FLT TO CHICAGO. I NEVER KNEW THAT ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD SECRETLY LEFT THE ACFT; LEAVING ONLY 2 FLT ATTENDANTS TO WORK THE FLT. THEY OBVIOUSLY WERE TRYING TO KEEP THIS CHARADE TO THEMSELVES THINKING THAT WITH ONLY 29 PAX; NOBODY WOULD EVER KNOW. HAD I KNOWN (AND KNOWING THAT CAPT WOULD FEEL THE SAME WAY); I WOULD NEVER HAVE ALLOWED THE ACFT TO LEAVE THE GATE. AFTER OUR ARR IN CHICAGO; THE OPS AGENT ASKED US WHERE THE THIRD FLT ATTENDANT WAS; BECAUSE A REPRESENTATIVE WAS IN THE JETWAY TO GIVE HIM A RANDOM DRUG TEST. CAPT ANSWERED THAT HE'S PROBABLY IN THE BACK OF THE AIRPLANE. THE OPS AGENT BASICALLY RESPONDED WITH OKAY; BECAUSE 2 OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAVE ALREADY LEFT; BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN THE THIRD. MY NATURAL REACTION AT THIS POINT WAS TO LOOK TOWARDS THE BACK OF THE AIRPLANE. I REMEMBER SEEING A MECH OR PROVISIONER IN THE BACK OF THE AIRPLANE. I FIGURED THAT THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS EITHER IN THE LAVATORY OR BEHIND THE BULKHEAD FINISHING UP SOME LAST MIN WORK. NOT THINKING ANYTHING MORE OF IT; CAPT AND I FINISHED OUR DUTIES AND LEFT THE AIRPLANE. UNTIL THE CHIEF PLT CALLED ME; I NEVER HAD ANY IDEA THAT THE FLT ATTENDANT HAD LEFT THE FLT. AFTER THE FLT; I DIDN'T EVEN QUESTION WHETHER OR NOT THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS IN THE BACK. I ASSUMED HE WAS IN THE BACK OF THE AIRPLANE AND MOMENTARILY OUT OF SIGHT; OR MAYBE HAD EVEN LEFT THE ACFT WITH THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS; BUT WAS SOMEHOW OVERLOOKED BY THE REPRESENTATIVE. I DON'T KNOW ALL OF THE FACTS AT THE MOMENT; BUT IF THIS IS THE STUNT THAT WAS ACTUALLY ATTEMPTED BY THESE 3 FLT ATTENDANTS; THEN I'M IN TOTAL DISGUST OF THEIR LACK OF CONCERN FOR SAFETY AND RULES FOR THEIR OTHER CREW MEMBERS AND PAX; NOT TO MENTION THE REPUTATION OF OUR COMPANY. HOPEFULLY; THE FUTURE OF OUR 'BEFORE START CHECKLIST' WON'T END WITH 'FLT ATTENDANTS - 3 ABOARD'.