In July 1978, nine years after the Zodiac Killer first struck, one of the most prominent homicide cops working the case was suddenly removed from his post. By that time, Inspector David R. Toschi — who had been on the case since day one — is said to have interviewed 5,000 people and examined more than 2,000 suspects. So it’s probable that his sudden transfer from homicide to (in Toschi’s own words) “the pawnshop detail” was always going to make some headlines. The reason it blew up into a citywide reason to gossip was the person responsible for his demotion — Tales of the City author and jaunty man about San Francisco, Armistead Maupin.