Template:Character infobox Agent Barry Tilly or Slim is a human male and a FBI agent working in Chicago. He first appears in Changes.
Description
Agent Barry Tilly is the FBI Agent who was assigned to arrest Harry Dresden on suspicion of bombing his own office building.
Harry Dresden describes him as a slender little man with fish-white skin and ink black hair.[1]
Tilly's hand tingles indicating a minor talent probably augmenting his ability to tell when people are lying and help him be a great detective.[1]
Barry can hold a "heck of glare", that says he is willing and capable of doing bodily harm. Words aren't needed the "faint shadow of old Death in his eyes" is sufficient to cow his target. He also kicks Rudolph out of the interrogation room, saying he is "useless, unprofessional, and impeding the investigation."[1]
Harry seems to genuinely like Tilly and finds him to be a reasonable person.[1][2] Tilly seems to be adapting to the addition of supernatural to his worldview rather well.[3]
Biography
Sometime in the past Agent Barry Tilly met Karrin Murphy. Murphy identifies him as an aikidoka, and states that she has been to his dojo a few times to teach some practical application classes, while he has been to Dough Joe's Gym to teach forms and formal weapons classes. As such it could be assumed that Tilly is a peer to Karrin Murphy in regard to martial arts skill.[4] Barry and Karrin also seem to hold each other in enough regard that when Tilly says that Karrin backed Harry Dresden, he was impressed and by proxy had respect for Harry.[1][5]
In the series
Changes
- Main article: Changes
In Changes, Harry meets Agent Tilly when he is fingered by Rudolph as the prime subject when his own building that used to hold his office is destroyed. Tilly does not believe that Dresden did blew up his building. Rudolph lied his ass off to Tilly's superiors to get Dresden here. Even though Tilly told Harry he could call him Tilly, Agent or Agent Tilly, Harry ignores all the options available and nicknames him Slim. Harry seems to genuinely like Tilly and when they shake hands Tilly's hand tingles indicating a minor talent. Harry believes that his ability probably augments his ability to tell when people are lying and help him be a great detective. As Harry is leaving and Tilly asks for who really blew up the building he honestly processes the information given to him.[1]
Later, Tilly had Susan Rodriguez in for questioning. Harry went to FBI Headquarters to get her out. While there the Eebs and their troop of Red Court vampires attacked—they're apparently after Harry, Susan (to stop them from their mission to save Maggie) and Rudolph (their loose-end patsy).[5] During the attack, Karrin called out to him shouting Barry which grabs his attention and Tilly automatically goes cool under the pressure. He's put in charge of Rudolph who lost it during the attack.[3]
Fan speculation
It is speculated that Tilly may return as the new source of Dresden's case work.(reference needed)