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>> Gumshoe digs for dirt on embezzlers, liars, cheats and two-timers

by CHRIS BARRY

Name: Patrick Leroux

Age: 33

Occupation: Private investigator/Polygraph technician

Bio: This burly hunk of a St-Laurent resident has been sticking his nose into people's illicit activities since the tender age of 21. A former Exercise Science student at Concordia, Patrick was introduced to the spy game by a doorman/private investigator at his father's Mont-Royal bar and, recognizing his natural gift for snooping, decided to drop out of school and become a full-time investigator. He is now a part-owner of ABM Investigations in NDG. Although specializing in intelligence gathering for a primarily corporate clientele, Patrick can still occasionally be found lurking outside motel rooms, camera in hand, waiting to record unfaithful lovers going about their adulterous activities.

Is it easier to bust men or women who are cheating on their spouses? "I can tell you absolutely that women are much more careful about cheating than men--they are a lot more discreet."

Do his hidden cameras ever capture good candid sex stuff on tape? Indirectly. "It's illegal to put a hidden camera in a bathroom or in a place where there could be nudity or intimacy. But occasionally we will hide a camera in a suspect's office and discover that they are also having sex with one of their co-workers on the top of their desks late at night after everybody has gone home."

Is a good liar capable of cheating on a polygraph test? Not really. "There are people in various government agencies who have been trained to deviate the results of a polygraph test but it is a very, very difficult process that takes years of training."

How long a polygraph session takes: Between three and four hours.

How much it costs to wire up your cheatin' baby: Approximately $800.

Does he find he gets better results if he conducts his interrogations dressed in a Gestapo uniform? Patrick hasn't tried this technique yet but says that intimidating people is not to his advantage. "We always try to be very soft and careful with people--as long as they are cooperating with us."

Does he ever bust people and feel really bad about it? Yes, when it's people who are stealing from their employer because they have a family and need the money to feed their kids. "Unfortunately, I can't just look the other way because it's a matter of personal integrity and my professional reputation."

How long it might take him to get your medical records: Twenty-four hours. "You're not allowed to do this legally, you know, but, basically, it's only a phone call away."

Hobbies: Golfing, skiing and playing hockey.

Childhood ambition. To become a professional skier.

Musical tastes: Not a big music fan, Patrick says he kind of enjoys U2 and Phil Collins when they come on the radio.

Last book read: The Art of War, by Sun Tzu. "I hate fiction. I like facts and news."

TV preferences: CBC Newsworld, Discovery channel.

Words of wisdom: "What goes around comes around. If you do something bad to someone, often it will come back to bite you in the ass. Play fair and it will be cool." :

Comments? dimwit@openface.ca