No, I am saying that veering from the action of simply walking as you normally would is viewed with suspicion, because they have no idea where you have gone. Dropping further back and moving out of view, only to find you come back into view later on, can make somebody who feels threatened even more so. There is no correct action to alleviate the issue.

I should also that this is not a situation I find myself in these days. I don't work shifts anymore, so rarely find that I am walking home in the dark. It was something that was quite common in my younger days. Mainly due to where I lived at the time and the fact I was not a car driver.