Tom Dufferin

"Tom frowned at the bulky crate that had suddenly appeared at the door. He hadn’t heard the delivery truck. It must have come in the last few minutes, while he was at the back. He examined the brown paper that covered the wooden frame. It bore the address of the shop and the message. With a shrug, Tom dragged the heavy container inside. Idly, he wondered what was so special that only Palomino had to open it. Printed matter, probably, judging by the weight — somebody’s lifelong collection of books or magazines. He set the store’s alarm, stepped out, and locked the door behind him. Whatever it was, the boss would deal with it when he arrived the next morning."

- Tom's thoughts

Tom Dufferin is a mysterious old man and a minor antagonist in Swindle. He works for S. Wendell Palomino at Palomino's Emporium of Sports and Memorabilia. Despite being his sidekick and being a minor villain in the novel, everything he is seen doing is quite innocent in nature.

Biography
Tom Dufferin's origin is unknown. In his elder years, he began working for the much younger S. Wendell Palomino at Palomino's Emporium of Sports and Memorabilia.

During the Infiltration of Palomino's Emporium, Bing and Slovak anonymously gave him a heavy box with confidential items only Palomino was allowed to open. Having not heard a delivery truck, Tom, who had been shelving comics, deduced that it had been sent to him while he had been in the back. Setting the store's alarm, he left the store and went home.

Days later, he escorted his boss outside during a hockey game, but his fate after he went on the run remains a mystery.

Personality
Tom Dufferin never displayed much of a personality, being dedicated to S. Wendell Palomino and showing limited patience in explaining that rare collectible items are different from everyday objects. He did display curiosity at what was inside the box delivered to him confidentially, but he did not let it get the better of him. He referred to Palomino as "the big boss".

Portrayal in the film
Tom never appears in the film.