Suspicious circumstances make investigator nervous

Harvey Hines thought he might be in trouble Oct. 15.

The investigator who has been knee-deep in his Zodiac killer investigation since 1973 got a call - a worrisome call - from a convenience store he frequents.

The employee said that around noon a man who claimed he was a good friend of Hines was in the store asking strange questions.

"He is on videotape because he came into a convenience store here (Groveland, Calif.) where they happen to know me," Hines said. "He was asking where I lived, if I was still married."

Concern increased when no one showed up at Hines' house that day.

"My family was worried because we didn't know who it was," Harvey said. "I wasn't frightened. I was concerned about my family's safety. I broke out the firearm and had it ready. I didn't know exactly what to expect. The fact that a person was asking about me and then didn't come and see me ... it's about a minute's drive from the convenience store to my house."

Hines said the videotape is too murky to discern who the man was, but that he's made arrangements to have the images cleaned up.