In fact, however, he knew by then that criminal investigators were closing in on him, according to people involved in the inquiry.

This morning, investigators closed the park briefly to search for evidence in daylight.

And the investigators at once closed their folders.

A frantic tone crept into Mr. Stein's correspondence as he realized investigators could be closing in.

Each investigator closed an average of 1.88 cases a month, 25 percent below the goal of 2.5 cases per month.

But when investigators closed in, she and her sons, 7 and 8, were already gone.

In the spring of 1998, after more than a year of investigations the investigators closed the file and it was given to the police for further investigation.

He put down the phone and the investigators closed in.

Matters have been made worse by the way investment banks scrambled to do junk-bond deals after federal investigators closed in on Mr Milken.

Following the confession, a spokesman from the Russian Interior Ministry stated that investigators considered the case closed.