Friday Sept 1 evening to Saturday Sept 2 morning - Langdon

[Gaffer]

It's about 4:30 pm as you leave the Hudson Street Station and head downtown to City Hall. The wind has picked up a bit and is blowing out of the northwest. The skies have cleared.

It's getting late and people will be leaving soon, locking their offices behind them as they head home.

[Langdon]

<sorry for the delay>

I bluster into the offices of the court secretary, making it seem that once again Mr. Unger has sent me on some wild errand that simply can not wait until the next business day. Mrs. Macaulay's husband and I went to school together, and occasionally they've invited me to dinners at their house.

"Hello Lucy," I smile, "I need some information on a lawsuit that was settled a few years ago. Mind looking it up for me so I don't have to go through the rigamarole at the office tomorrow?" I wince, empathetically, "I know it's a pain, but I need to review it tonight."

I smile to myself, years of practice in bureaucratic and pseudo-legal lingo always seem to help when asking for something from a secretary.

"Oh, and do you happen to have anything on the background of the Hirt family or would I have to look for that elsewhere?"

I'm such a sly dog I think to myself.

[Gaffer]

"Hello Lucy," I smile, "I need some information on a lawsuit that was settled a few years ago. Mind looking it up for me so I don't have to go through the rigamarole at the office tomorrow?" I wince, empathetically, "I know it's a pain, but I need to review it tonight. Oh, and do you happen to have anything on the background of the Hirt family or would I have to look for that elsewhere?"

Lucy Macauley looks up with her professional smile firmly in place. The smug little so-and-so, she thinks, always trying to get someone else to do his work. Still, he might be somebody around here eventually, he certainly has the connections, and that might help Tom's career. Her smile doesn’t waver: “Certainly, Mr. Vilas, I can dig the court records out of the archives in the records room. If you come along with me, it’ll save some time, since it’s so late in the day. Let’s go downstairs.”

After a while, she deposits a hefty portfolio on a reading table in the records room, raising a cloud of dust. “These records go back to 1919, Mr. Vilas, it took some time to locate them. The clerks weren’t as efficient back then as we are now. I can ask Mrs. Ruddy to check the Manhattan Property records for your Hirt family, but she’d need an address of the property they own, you know.”

Bureaucracy: Probate Court records indicate that Palatine Hirt named his partner in Hirt & Stanton Shipping Ltd., Robert Stanton III, of Darien, Connecticut, executor of his estate and guardian of his children (which seems odd since his brother Jacob was living in Manhattan at the time). City court records show that Jacob filed suit challenging the will, but dropped the suit when Stanton allowed Jacob Hirt’s accountants to review all of the relevant financial records.

<It occurs to you that your broker, Stewart Alden, of Alden, Dewey and Howe, Inc. might know something about the family, since they owned businesses in the city.>
Looking at your watch, you realize that it’s after six and the office will be closed – also, you have a dinner engagement at seven-thirty. Well, you can go see Alden first thing tomorrow, at ten.

Lucy bids you a pleasant goodnight as she gathers up the dusty records and puts them back in order. On the way out you see Tom Macauley frowning at his watch and tapping his foot impatiently outside Lucy's office door.

[Langdon]

I strike up a banal conversation with Tom on my way out, keeping it short and simple.

Overnight I muse on the fact that with all these family legal records, and Miss Hirt's interview, I still haven't managed to get the missing brother's name. Oh well. It can wait until morning.

The next morning I rise early and head off to the Alden, Dewey, and Howe.

[Langdon]

Walking into the offices, I sigh slightly. Seems like they have a new secretary every week! I flash her my most charming smile.

"Well, hello there! Have you been working with Mr. Alden long? I'm sure I would remember a face as beautiful as yours." I'm sure she gets it all the time, but it's not such an exaggeration. I genuinely do find her attractive. "Would you mind asking Mr. Alden if he has a minute for an old friend? Tell him Langdon Vilas is here to see him."

I offer her my calling card "And perhaps if you aren't busy next weekend, some friends of mine are having a bit of a gathering. Music, drink, you know, chase the clouds away sort of thing."

[Gaffer]

After a leisurely breakfast, as you walk briskly down the alley to the garage where you keep your 1929 Packard Standard Eight, there’s a crisp feeling of Autumn. Yesterday’s paper said the skies should be clear all day Saturday the temperature would reach 70° by the afternoon, but with light breezes. The drive downtown to Fulton Street is pleasant, as most people are already at work by 9:30.

Walking into the offices, I sigh slightly. Seems like they have a new secretary every week! I flash her my most charming smile.
"Well, hello there! Have you been working with Mr. Alden long? I'm sure I would remember a face as beautiful as yours." I'm sure she gets it all the time, but it's not such an exaggeration. I genuinely do find her attractive. "Would you mind asking Mr. Alden if he has a minute for an old friend? Tell him Langdon Vilas is here to see him."
I offer her my calling card "And perhaps if you aren't busy next weekend, some friends of mine are having a bit of a gathering. Music, drink, you know, chase the clouds away sort of thing."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Vilas, but the firm doesn't approve of secretaries being socially involved with clients," her look of disappointment could be genuine, "I'll see if Mr. Alden has a few minutes to spare for you." She's back in a moment, ushering you into his office.

Stewart Alden is an older man, not quite your father's age. The firm of Alden, Dewey and Howe has handled the Vilas family portfolio since your grandfather's time and his smile is genuine. "Langdon, my boy, what can I do for you this morning?"

Credit Rating: Alden, recalls that the Hirt brothers dissolved their profitable business back before the War (Hirt Frères Co.), apparently due to personal differences. Hirt & Stanton Shipping Ltd. was formed soon after and did quite well, particularly during the War years. Reorganized as Stanton & Sons Corp. in 1922, it was rattled by the 1929 Crash, but has survived.

Oral History: Alden believes that Alphonse Hirt banks at Metropolitan Bank & Trust (right around the corner, where you also have your accounts).

<Do you want to make a one point Credit Rating spend for more information?>

[Langdon]

<Yes to the spend. It's early in the morning here and I just got into work. Will have some coffee and hopefully come back to this post later today to do more in character. Right now I'm too tired to think creatively >

[Gaffer]

Credit Rating one-point spend: Alden remembers that Jacob Hirt’s firm (J. Hirt Imports Co.) struggled until about 1910 and then did well until the 1929 Crash. Jacob has since liquidated his business and moved to Hawthorne, about 90 minutes drive above the city. He seems to be living off of his investments.

<do you want to go on to the bank?>

[Langdon]

I take a hike over to the bank and insert a few questions here and there between my normal chit-chat and banking transaction. Mostly they revolve around who this Alphonse Hirt guy was. Who his son is, and how he's making a living, where he lives, etc.

[Gaffer]

Credit Rating (Metropolitan Bank & Trust): Sam Sewell, your regular teller,doesn't know anything about the elder Hirts. However, he passes on the rumor that Alphonse Hirt has been spending rather above his means (which were somewhat reduced by the reverses suffered by Stanton & Sons Shipping Corp. in the Crash). As far as Sam knows, Mr. Hirt is living off his investment income (though last month he had substantial deposits resulting from sales of Stanton & Sons stock).

When you leave the bank, it's about 11:30, just enough time to get uptown to the Carnegie Delicatessen -- a new dining experience for you.

[We'll be moving to a new thread, but you can post any last thoughts here.]