Noir and Skulking

Crime writing is based on the premise that every person has some dark secret or some embarrassing
fact in their past life that they would not like to have revealed.  (Or, as is obvious, some criminal act has been committed and everybody sets off to discover who and why).   One way to unmask a suspect is to skulk around
their place of work or home.   I have never managed to get past the first few frames of "LA Confidential" because of all the skulking.
Pitting characters against one another in a frantic dance of misapprehension is what makes Noir such
a compulsive art form for anybody who enjoys adrenaline rushes.
Body language is the real giveaway in Noir and skulking in shadows is for the baddies and stalkers while the good characters (if there are any) are often seen in clear sunlight or in safe environments where hiding in shadows or under tables  would lead
to being arrested.
Of course, playing with these conventions is what makes the artist sharpen his or her pen, or boot up their hard drive with energy.   However I find it difficult to think of any film or book I have ever encountered where a character skulks in broad daylight without a wall, car or another character to hide behind,
regardless of their moral condition.

Trees are also the usual prop for the skulker and pantomime is full of examples.
Mozart was an expert in using this device for humourous effect, or as in the case of "Don Giovanni" in an effort to
give the audience an heart attack from fright.

In real life, in Europe, If tempted, try not to do it...
Perhaps other cultures are more tolerant.