****
Monday morning Boone and Delilah dressed for another day in the park wearing their Mormon costumes. They packed a picnic basket with food and drinks and grabbing the fur blanket Odin had sent them, they headed out for another day of eavesdropping.
As lunchtime neared, they moved the blanket to an area where most of the single female workers congregated to eat. Boone laid back and closed his eyes, pretending to nap. He concentrated on each conversation, one table at a time, hoping to learn anything which would lead him and Delilah to Lucy. Suddenly his eyes flew open.
“Over there,” Boone indicated with his eyes. “The girls in the blue dresses.”
Boone went silent so he could listen to the conversation. Delilah waited.
“I hope I get invited to the party,” the girl with light brown hair whispered.
“What party?” the girl with the darker, almost dark brown hair asked.
“About every three to four months, Mr. Miner hosts a party for wealthy Mormons. About a dozen of the female workers get invited. It is a good way to get noticed and find a husband.”
“Debbie!” the girl with the darker hair nearly yelled.
“Shhh, Katia,” the girl with the light brown hair warned.
“I do not want to be paraded around like a common streetwalker,” Katia replied. “I want to find love.”
“Not me,” Debbie smirked. “I want a rich husband with a big house and lots of servants.”
“But it is your job to take care of the house and have babies,” Katia whispered, afraid of being overheard. “It is our way.”
“Mr. Miner’s wives have servants,” Debbie revealed. “That is what I want.”
“You cannot talk like this. The elders will shun you,” Katia warned.
“I just want to be rich. The heck with babies and love,” Debbie sneered. “I want to marry for money.”
“You will still be expected to have babies, lots of babies.”
“Maybe, maybe not,” Debbie smirked as if she was hiding something.
“So when is the next party?” Katia asked.
“It is at the end of the week. I have overheard some of the plans. The girls will be selected later today. Then they buy them expensive gowns to wear. All low cut and tight.”
“Like common hookers,” Katia shuddered. “I hope I am not invited.”
“Why do you think your father sent you here to work?” Debbie snickered. “This place is nothing but a stock exchange for pretty young Mormon girls. Don’t you know anything?”
“How do you know so much?” Katia snapped back.
“My cousin Lewis works in HR. He told me Miner has the final approval on every female hired. Miner looks over their files, their photos, who their fathers are, everything.”
“I am sure he does it with the men too,” Katia speculated aloud.
“Not the photos,” Debbie revealed. "Haven't you noticed? All the girls working here are pretty. Not an ugly one in the bunch."
“So you want to go to the party?”
“Heck yes. I am ready to stop this charade. I hate working. It is time for me to find a rich husband and live the life of luxury,” Debbie laughed.
“I hope I am not invited,” Katia confessed. “I want to find my own husband.”
“Good luck with that,” Debbie chuckled. “You are too pretty not to be invited.”
Boone listened as Katia’s heartbeat started to race. He could not see her face, but he could imagine the tears which were about to well in her eyes. Debbie’s proclamation had Katia genuinely fearful.
“You remember Marcie who used to work on the second floor?” Debbie asked. Katia nodded. “She went to the last party and met a very handsome man from some foreign country. They were having a good time, and she was sure he was going to ‘pick’ her but then one of Mr. Miner’s assistants came over, whispered something in the man’s ear. Marcie said the guy left with a big smile on his face, and it was the last she ever saw him. Actually a few minutes later, Marcie was escorted out of the party. By lunch time the next Monday, Marcie was gone. They told us she had moved to Nebraska. No one saw her again.”
“That’s strange.”
“Very strange,” Debbie agreed. “And what is stranger is the party was the night before Mr. Miner’s daughter ran away. There was so much excitement about it no one thought twice about Marcie leaving so abruptly.”
“Wow.”
“Wow is right,” Debbie parroted. “The girls who will be invited will know as soon as lunch is over. Let’s head back. I do not want to be late for this. This is my big chance to get out of this place.”
Debbie stood and grabbed Katia’s hand. “Let’s hurry. And quit moping already. If you get invited, you just might meet your prince charming. I hope I do.”
Katia did not look very happy, but she needed her job, and she needed to be back from lunch on time. She reluctantly allowed Debbie to pull her back into the office building.
As soon as the two were gone, Boone relayed the entire conversation to Delilah. “Are you sure she said it was the night before Lucy disappeared?”
“Yes,” Boone replied wide-eyed.
“Maybe we need to talk to this Marcie girl?”
“No, we need to stay here,” Boone countered. “We need a way into this party. But it will be tricky since Miner knows us. We are going to have to figure out something.”
“I wonder who is catering the party,” Delilah wondered. She was hoping to use the catering company as a way into the party.
“We will try to find out,” Boone replied. “But I have a feeling the parties are usually pretty hush-hush. Katia had never heard about the parties before. Debbie probably knows about them because of her cousin.”
“We should hang out here this afternoon,” Delilah suggested. “Maybe we can figure out which twelve women were invited. It may give us access to the party. We need to know everything about everyone.”
“Back to the deli for more food and water?” Boone chuckled.
“And a bathroom break.”