Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in California

Read the will.

If you don't have access to the will, which I presume is the case, you might try the probate department in the courthouse that covers the area where the decedent last lived. Wills are often deposited with the court. If you were a named beneficiary, you should be able to look at it. Otherwise, you might just speak with the next of kin who likely is the administrator -- either a spouse or the oldest child -- and after expressing your condolences, ask about whether you were left anything, as the decedent had told you of his/her intention to give you something as a gift. It's possible that the person administering the estate doesn't know how to contact you.