Who is Tom Mascalco from Sweet and Deadly and what is their importance?

Tom is a reporter for the Gazette. He is a young man, fresh out of college and anxious to become a successful, investigative reporter. Thus, when he learns of Leona's murder, he jumps on the story as an opportunity to make a name for himself. He investigates the murder thoroughly and annoys everyone in town, including Catherine.

When Tom is killed by an intruder, Catherine is the main suspect, as she found his body. In the end, we learn that the killer was present in Tom's home to steal medical records that were stored there by Catherine's father. He was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.