[IC] Act One: Los Angeles

"I think whatever was in that box could have been put to misuse, if they didn't just destroy the contents."

"Hmm.. There's a chance FDIC stored it in some archive, if that poor fellow's tale is true... I'm not familiar on how they operate. But it is a cold trail... Anyway, I think we're done here, my friends."

"Perhaps we should look at who the board members were, see if any of them seem contactable?

Dr Walker realises that Long Beach probably doesn't have a federal building of any size likely to hold an FDIC office; the closest one would probably be in LA. If they came in to remove the safe deposit boxes, they'd either have them somewhere in storage, or would know where they are.

Gabriel shares his realisation with the others.
"Doesn't necessarily mean that we should go there straight away, but... It's a trail to follow."

"I think we may as well Doctor. Knock it off the list, one way or another," Lillian says after a moment's thought.

"It would be a good start for tomorrow's investigation."

It'll take you the rest of the day today to drive back to LA, ahev dinner, etc. What do you wish to do tomorrow morning?

So, in the hotel lobby, Lillian asks and looks through telephone directories for numbers for this Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and endeavours to find the address.

It's easy to find; the FDIC has an office in the Federal Building, located downtown in a new art deco building, near the similarly new city hall building.



The building itself isn't too far from your hotel, just to the north.

"Let's try an angle that... is almost the truth," he tells his companions before entering. "We can say Douglas Henslowe is my psychiatric patient, and that he recently disclosed the location of these keys to the security box. I should be able to use my credentials if getting to their deposit proves complicated..."

"Very well, Doctor, but perhaps only if they ask. They might just take you for the owner."

Date: June 2nd, 1937

It doesn't take long in the morning to drive (or walk - it's a nice day today) tot he Federal Building. At the large reception on the ground floor, you're directed to the fourth floor, and one quick elevator ride later, you find yourselves in the FDIC office, Los Angeles. It's a small-ish office from what you can see, and when you explain to the receptionist what you are after, she consults a small file in front of her and says "You'll want Mr Burlington, that's under his remit. Marv!" she calls, and a rather harassed-looking man, balding prematurely pops his head out of an office without actually looking at you or the receptionist, his eyes glued to the piece of paper in his hand. "Yeah," he replies, then briefly takes his eyes off the paper, then as he registers your presence, looks back up at you again. "You're First Bank of Long Beach, aren't you?" the receptionist asks, and he replies in the affirmative. "Some people to see you then," she says, as he waves you towards his office.

His office has piles of paper everywhere, an in box that's overflowing, and several reference works piled by his desk. There are a couple of seats in front of the desk that he waves you to, briefly glancing at another piece of paper on top of the in box as he does.

So, what can I do for you?" he asks, mostly looking at you now.

"Good morning Mr. Burlington. We're here hoping to track down a safe deposit box from the Bank of Long Beach,", Lillian says, noticing the Doctor suddenly seemed a little reticent.

Distracted, Gabriel shows Henslowe's key and adds, "Uh... yes! It matched this key here, you see... I wonder if you have kept its contents in storage?"

"Ah, yeah, gimme a sec." Mr Burlington rummages through some paperwork, consults a filing cabinet, and then says "Yeah, looks like everything's being kept at the Federal Warehouse down in Long Beach. I've got the address here somewhere..."

He rummages around some more, briefly being distracted by yet another piece of paper he finds on his desk, and further by making a quick, monosyllabic phone call (presumably in relation to the paper he just found) before handing you a hastily scribbled note with an address in Long Beach.

"I can call ahead for you if you want, get them to have the box ready for you, since you have the key there," he says.

Gabriel suppresses a wince, hearing they have to trek back to Long Beach. "That would be much appreciated, thanks... how soon do you think they'll have it ready?"

"No idea, to be honest," the man says, running his hand through his thinning hair. Could be straight away, could be a few days, depending on where it is and how hard it is to find it or get to it. I went down once to oversee another bank closure, they basically ripped everything out of the place that wasn't nailed down, then everything that was nailed down, and just put it all in a huge pile in one part of the warehouse. Could have three other banks' worth of stuff on top of it by now."

He looks at the crestfallen faces of the three of you, then continues. "Look, I know this is all a pain in the ass. Pardon my French. If you want, I can have them dig it out and delivered here, I have the bank's master key. Might take a couple of days anyway, but you'll save a trip and it might actually get them to get to it quicker if it comes from me."