Under the cloak of night, James Craig navigates his vehicle along a quiet tree-lined street in Victoria and spots the residence he has been hired to observe.

The lights inside are on, and the subjectB次元官网网址檚 vehicle is parked out front.

B次元官网网址淚 do a visual, a quick snapshot,B次元官网网址� says Craig, who has been a private investigator for 25 years. B次元官网网址淎s IB次元官网网址檓 driving by, IB次元官网网址檓 also checking to see which surveillance positions would serve me best. IB次元官网网址檝e got a lot of information already.B次元官网网址�

He slips his vehicle into a curb-side parking spot that offers him a clear view of the front of the residence.

B次元官网网址淚f IB次元官网网址檓 going to tail the person, IB次元官网网址檒l park further away,B次元官网网址� says Craig, who revels in the challenge of unobtrusively following a target in traffic.

B次元官网网址淲hen youB次元官网网址檙e tailing someone, your heart is just pounding a mile a minute.B次元官网网址�

Craig, the owner and sole investigator of his Victoria-based James Craig Investigations business, has been hired to watch the person who lives in the residence, noting their comings and goings and, possibly, any erratic behaviour.

B次元官网网址淢ost people would never know theyB次元官网网址檙e being observed or tailed, unless theyB次元官网网址檙e involved in criminal activity,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淏ut there are a lot of people who are paranoid, especially people involved in infidelity because theyB次元官网网址檙e cheating and lying.B次元官网网址�

Twenty per cent of CraigB次元官网网址檚 clients B次元官网网址� most of them women B次元官网网址� hire him to investigate suspected infidelities.

B次元官网网址淚 take infidelity jobs very seriously,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 probably one of the most tragic things that can happen in a personB次元官网网址檚 life.B次元官网网址�

Some private eyes are former police officers, but Craig was a family support worker, investigating child abuse and neglect until he decided to leave the stressful job behind and become a PI.

B次元官网网址淒rop me off and let me pretend to be someone else and IB次元官网网址檓 in heaven,B次元官网网址� he says.

Craig whips his binoculars to his eyes for a closer look at a woman emerging from the target residence. She quickly walks down the street and disappears into the darkness.

B次元官网网址淪omeone once described it as hours and hours of pure boredom mixed in with seconds of pure panic,B次元官网网址� says Bill Hayman, private investigator and owner of Victoria-based Sterling Pacific Investigations.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 nothing glamorous about what I do,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 like any job that involves helping others.B次元官网网址�

His specialty is insurance cases, collecting information about people who are seeking monetary compensation through a lawsuit or an insurance claim for injuries that may be exaggerated.

B次元官网网址淲hen it comes to an insurance claim and IB次元官网网址檓 paying a premium, then I feel I have a vested interest that the person collecting on their claim is legitimate,B次元官网网址� Hayman says. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 not out to get anybody. ThereB次元官网网址檚 definitely a need for what we do.B次元官网网址�

Hayman had up to 11 employees working for him about 10 years ago, but now heB次元官网网址檚 down to two, including an accountant.

Insurance companies have become more frugal over the years, but downsizing has its advantages, Hayman says.

B次元官网网址淲hen youB次元官网网址檙e managing people, it takes up all your time,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淚 find people fascinating. IB次元官网网址檝e done it for 26 years because itB次元官网网址檚 interesting.B次元官网网址�

For Craig, there have been times when shadowing a target doesnB次元官网网址檛 provide enough information. He enjoys inventing plausible reasons for visiting a residence to find out what his target is doing. He has caught adulterers and cleared the names of some suspect spouses this way.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e resolved a lot of problems for people over the years,B次元官网网址� says Craig. B次元官网网址淚t feels good to find closure on something.

B次元官网网址淭he clients hire me because they want to know the truth.B次元官网网址�

emccracken@vicnews.com

By the numbers:

There were 248 private investigation companies licensed in B.C. in 2004 and 2008, the highest recorded numbers in the past eight years. Today, there are 233 firms.

In 2009, there were 564 licensed individuals in the province, compared to 704 today. Last year 535 investigators were working toward their full licence in B.C., whereas there are 773 today.

Licensed private investigators in Victoria: 33

Private investigators in Victoria working toward full licence: 32