So I sent a ‘friend’ down to the cellar to verify the authenticity of a nice Amontillado I got through Ebay…
Actually, I have no idea where this friend is. Or friends, rather. Many acquaintances have come and gone over the years, some of them involved in activities that are associated with frighteningly short life spans. I know where some of them live(d), their name, past addresses, etc. But I don’t know where they are now, how to contact them, or how to contact anyone who does know them.
Do I have to go to each state’s department of records and ask individually? Are there national services that do that automatically (for free, preferably)? What about the Social Security Administration? Is there a substantial delay similar to the census?
My morbid curiosity wants to know.