Christine Jones -
04-11-2007, 09:50 AM
*snip*
Infidelity, it turns out, is seasonal.
It dwindles around the December holidays, as errant spouses retreat to the comforts of hearth and family. Among other things, that means a dip in business for private investigators, who are often called on to track the movements of illicit lovers.
<CENTER>Lehigh Valley Local Links
David Messinger Jr. knows the patterns of cheating because he often uncovers it. Messinger is the owner and sole full-time employee of Shadow Investigations & Protective Services, a Palmer Township investigation firm.
Infidelity makes up a major part of Shadow's business. But Messinger and his five on-call helpers do more than just track trysters through tinted windows. They also investigate fraud cases for insurance companies, collect evidence for criminal defense attorneys and run background checks.
The life of an investigator has little to do with glamorous TV portrayals. It's a life of legwork and public records searches, not fistfights and high-tech surveillance gadgets. Still, it never gets monotonous, Messinger said.
''It's not the same 9-to-5 every day,'' the Easton native said. ''Every day is different; every subject is different.''
Messinger began working as a private investigator in 2000, after coming home from four years in the Marines. He has been recalled to active duty twice since then, serving on scout and sniper platoons in Kosovo and Iraq. He founded Shadow Investigations in 2004, after returning from his most recent military service.
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*snip*
For Messinger Jr., every assignment starts with a meeting in which he explains his services and sets terms with his client. Shadow Investigations charges $50 per investigator per hour plus expenses, such as mileage or videotapes. The agency works off a retainer fee that is charged up front.
After the first meeting, Messinger prepares a typed ''work-up'' report and starts early research, such as an Internet search. What comes after that depends on the case, but might include tracking or interviews in the field.
''Believe it or not, people will tell you a lot,'' he said. ''People don't tend to clam up.''
A Shadow In The Field (http://www.mcall.com/business/local/all-shadowapr09,0,6572144.story?coll=all-businesslocal-hed)
Infidelity, it turns out, is seasonal.
It dwindles around the December holidays, as errant spouses retreat to the comforts of hearth and family. Among other things, that means a dip in business for private investigators, who are often called on to track the movements of illicit lovers.
<CENTER>Lehigh Valley Local Links
David Messinger Jr. knows the patterns of cheating because he often uncovers it. Messinger is the owner and sole full-time employee of Shadow Investigations & Protective Services, a Palmer Township investigation firm.
Infidelity makes up a major part of Shadow's business. But Messinger and his five on-call helpers do more than just track trysters through tinted windows. They also investigate fraud cases for insurance companies, collect evidence for criminal defense attorneys and run background checks.
The life of an investigator has little to do with glamorous TV portrayals. It's a life of legwork and public records searches, not fistfights and high-tech surveillance gadgets. Still, it never gets monotonous, Messinger said.
''It's not the same 9-to-5 every day,'' the Easton native said. ''Every day is different; every subject is different.''
Messinger began working as a private investigator in 2000, after coming home from four years in the Marines. He has been recalled to active duty twice since then, serving on scout and sniper platoons in Kosovo and Iraq. He founded Shadow Investigations in 2004, after returning from his most recent military service.
</CENTER>
*snip*
For Messinger Jr., every assignment starts with a meeting in which he explains his services and sets terms with his client. Shadow Investigations charges $50 per investigator per hour plus expenses, such as mileage or videotapes. The agency works off a retainer fee that is charged up front.
After the first meeting, Messinger prepares a typed ''work-up'' report and starts early research, such as an Internet search. What comes after that depends on the case, but might include tracking or interviews in the field.
''Believe it or not, people will tell you a lot,'' he said. ''People don't tend to clam up.''
A Shadow In The Field (http://www.mcall.com/business/local/all-shadowapr09,0,6572144.story?coll=all-businesslocal-hed)