Veil of Secrets Theory Page

Welcome to the Veil of Secrets Theory Page. This is a place where you can discuss confirmed, debunked, and unconfirmed theories from the Veil of Secrets book.

Confirmed Theories

 * MC as a detective: Prior to the book's release, some fans believed the MC will have to put his/her detective hat on and solve the mystery themselves. This is confirmed as the MC is a journalist and has taken an active role in investigating Kate's disappearance.
 * Flynn as a love interest: Some fans believed that Kate's brother Flynn would be a love interest. This is confirmed.
 * Police love interest: Some fans believed that someone on the police force would be a love interest. This is confirmed as Deputy Naomi Silverhawk is a love interest.
 * Corrupt cops/family: In a sneak peek shown on May 29th, 2018, a video showed Tanner posing for a picture with his brother and his parents. Because the parents look sinister, some fans believed that the Sterling family could be corrupt, and therefore paying off the police to not investigate Kate's disappearance. This is confirmed in Chapter 2 when Chief Tommy Walsh, an old friend of the Sterling family, gave the deputy chiefs Jeff and Naomi orders to not investigate Kate's disappearance. In Chapter 5, the MC mentions how obvious it is that Walsh is in the Sterlings' pocket.
 * Tanner would be murdered: It is mentioned in Chapter 1 that there were at least 4 homicides, and some fans believed Tanner was a possible murder victim. It is revealed at the end of Chapter 4 that someone slit his throat.
 * Inspired by Pretty Little Liars and Riverdale: Some fans believe that we will have a murder mystery given the blood splatter and stains in the first sneak peek. It's also believed that similar to Endless Summer paying homage to Lost, Hero to DC/Marvel, and Bloodbound to The Vampire Diaries and True Blood, Veil of Secrets (at first glance) will pay homage to Pretty Little Liars and the CW series Riverdale.
 * Naomi's nationality: Due to her surname (Silverhawk), some fans believed that Naomi could be Native-American. After a fan questioned Pixelberry about this, they confirmed that Naomi is Native-American.
 * Flynn was the masked man: The end of Chapter 3 shows a masked man breaking into Kate's apartment, and many players believed it was Flynn since their eyes were the same. It was revealed in Chapter 4 that Flynn was the masked man.
 * What Kate wanted to tell us: There are a couple of theories as to what Kate wanted to tell us at the end of Chapter 1 before Tanner dragged her away, the top three being either that Tanner is gay, she discovered evidence that he/the Sterlings are involved in criminal activity (see the Smuggling theory below) or he was cheating on her.
 * The last point was confirmed in Chapter 5 when it was revealed that Scarlett and Tanner slept together before their wedding.
 * Naomi's career: The sneak peek for Chapter 11 shows Naomi in a casual outfit in contrast to her police uniform and mentions making a choice she doesn't regret. This has lead fans to believe that she is no longer a member of the Birchport PD. Fans believe that she will either be fired by Walsh for disobeying him, or she will quit willingly given that she has stated several times that she disapproves of Walsh's inability to enforce justice. This is confirmed in Chapter 11 as Walsh says he fired her and Naomi later confirms that she no longer has a job.
 * Nikolai is in a gang: Some fans believe that Nikolai's tattoo of Kraken tentacles could be gang-related, given that Birchport is a seaside town. This is contributed to in Chapter 12 when Grant states his tattoo is a symbol used by several Eastern European cartels who smuggle drugs and guns into the United States. It is also confirmed he was part of the Russian mafia.
 * Smuggling: Some fans believe that due to the Sterlings owning a shipping empire, at least one member of the family could be part of a smuggling operation using their business as a front. This is contributed to in clues found in premium scenes in Chapters 7 and 8. In Chapter 7, it is revealed that Kate's kidnapper is keeping tabs on cargo from Eastern Europe, and in Chapter 8, it is revealed that narcotics of Heroin and Special K (Ketamine) are occasionally smuggled through the dock. This has led fans to believe that the Sterlings now make a large amount of their money from drug trafficking. This was confirmed in Chapter 13.
 * Taylor Acosta: It is believed that someone named Taylor Acosta targeted the Sterlings through Nikolai. In Chapter 13, it is revealed that Pierce's secretary, Alanis Acosta, was pregnant with his daughter. It was mentioned in Chapter 6 that Alanis died in a house fire. This has led fans to believe that Taylor is targeting the Sterlings to avenge her mother. In Chapter 14, it is later revealed that Alanis gave birth to a son, not a daughter, who is revealed to be Jeff Duffy. He targeted the Sterlings to avenge his mother's death and to end the Sterling line.
 * Murder victims: In Chapter 1, Agent Kim mentions that part of the crime wave in Birchport included at least four murders. Fans believe that potential murder victims include the four Sterlings, Scarlett, Tommy, and/or possibly Jeff. By the end of the book, Tommy Walsh and the three Sterlings are dead. Jeff's and Pierce's life depends on the MC's choice. The player can also choose to let the two die. If Pierce survives the events of Chapter 15, however, he dies in the next chapter's epilogue regardless.
 * Jeff Duffy is the villain: Some fans believed that Jeff Duffy only pretends to be incompetent in order to hide a more sinister personality. This was confirmed in Chapter 14 after Grant calls the MC and reveals that Jeff is Pierce's illegitimate son, who was born as Taylor Acosta.
 * Naomi will become Chief of Police: After Walsh's death and Duffy's arrest, Naomi became the Chief of Police in Birchport. At her tenure as the Police Chief, she made history in the town: they received a historical low on crimes committed on the city grounds and the first woman as a Police Chief. In addition, Flynn became the new deputy of the Birchport Police Department.
 * Kate as a love interest: In the last chapter, Kate becomes a love interest as MC can decide to stay with her.
 * The Junior Connection: There is a theory that the Sterlings from this story are related to Nathan Sterling from The Junior. This theory was first debunked via live stream when Pixelberry stated that Nathan's last name in connection to the Sterlings is purely coincidental. It was then revealed in the Choices Reddit AMA in 2019 that Pixelberry later decided to make them distant cousins.

Unresolved Theories

 * Potential suspects/antagonists:
 * Some fans believe that a man in a red flannel shirt (shown in Flynn and Naomi's sneak peeks) could be an antagonist, especially because in Naomi's sneak peek, he is shown to be processed for an unknown crime. After Chapter 5, some fans believe that he is a criminal named Tony Rez.
 * In Chapter 6, it was confirmed that the man in flannel is Tony Rez. Tony was indeed arrested for several misdemeanors.
 * Given that it is hinted that Nikolai has a crush on Kate, some fans believe he will be working for her as a henchman if she ends up being a villain. In Chapter 6, it is also stated that no one knows his past and there are theories that he could be an ex-KGB agent or mafia hitman.
 * Tommy is Bryce's father: Some fans believe that Bryce's biological father is Tommy Walsh instead of Pierce Sterling. This is because Bryce and Tommy have similar physical features, and Bryce has a different skin tone than the other Sterlings. It's also possible that Pierce knows this and uses it to blackmail Tommy into granting the Sterlings immunity from prosecution.
 * Surveillance: In Chapter 11, district attorney Mac Hornby accuses you of being in a relationship with whichever love interests you have been intimate with in order to sabotage the investigation (which doesn't happen in free path). This has led fans to believe that the MC was being followed.
 * Characters inspired by Endless Summer: It is believed that Kate, Grant, Flynn, and Naomi were inspired by the Endless Summer love interests. Quinn and Kate are both extroverts and have red hair. Jake and Flynn have tragic backstories and care deeply for their sisters. Sean and Grant are both African-American and are optimistic. Estela and Naomi both don't talk much about their families, can have a cynical outlook on justice, and tie their hair back into ponytails.

Debunked Theories

 * Tanner as a Love Interest or Big Bad of the series: Some fans believed that Tanner may be viewed as the source of Kate’s disappearance because the 3rd sneak peek showed Tanner looking furious rather than anxious at his fiancee's disappearance. This was debunked at the end of Chapter 4 when Tanner is killed.
 * The description for Chapter 4: It mentions a masked man breaking into Kate's apartment, with some fans believing that he could be trying to get rid of evidence related to her kidnapping. This was debunked at the start of Chapter 4 when it is revealed the masked man was Flynn, who was trying to find evidence related to her kidnapping (rather than get rid of it).
 * Chapter 9: The summary for Chapter 9 mentions an "unexpected guest" at the Sterlings' 4th of July gala. Some fans believe that the story could be referring to Kate or Flynn, Michael Kim, or an anti-elitist criminal. This was debunked, as the unexpected guest is revealed to be Tony Rez.
 * Walsh's ultimatum: The summary for Chapter 11 mentions that Chief Walsh will call in your MC with a "menacing ultimatum". Some fans believe that Walsh will try to intimidate you into falsely testifying against Kate to convince the jury to vote "guilty". Others believe that he will try to force you to drop your investigations with doctored evidence that make you and your love interests (Naomi, Flynn, and Grant) look like criminals. This was debunked in Chapter 11 given that the ultimatum is Walsh trying to force you out of Birchport on Pierce's orders.
 * Grant murdered Tanner: Considering all we know about Sterling-Emerson rivalry, and that Grant was at the marina for the festival hours before Tanner's death on his yacht, it can be speculated that Grant is a person of interest for Tanner's murder. In Chapter 3, when Margaret says to Pierce that something "came up" concerning Tanner, it's possible that the situation was related to his untimely demise later that night. Grant could have done this in response to suspecting that Scarlett was having an affair with Tanner, but it is also likely that Grant would resort to murdering Tanner so that the Sterling family would have one less heir. This is supported in Chapter 2 after Pierce states that Grant is always trying to "capitalize on his family's embarrassment", and in Chapter 9, where Scarlett seems hell-bent on having her family surpass the wealth of the Sterlings. This was later debunked in Chapter 14 given that Jeff Duffy targeted the Sterlings to avenge his mother's death and end the Sterling line.
 * Framed: Some fans believe that Flynn and the MC will be accused of murdering Tanner given that there were no other witnesses and Flynn already has a criminal record and the MC is an out-of-towner who has already gotten on the bad side of Chief Walsh and the Sterlings. This is debunked in Chapter 14, given that Jeff has stated that he plans to end the Sterling line, implying that he was the one who killed Tanner.
 * Some fans believe that feeling isolated and losing contact with her best friend caused Kate to go insane and could possibly be the book's big bad. It could be that she faked her disappearance, murdered Tanner because she believed that he was unfaithful, and tried to frame her old friend by giving the MC a note saying "Ulysses", the name of the yacht where Tanner was found dead. In Chapter 4, she was shown to be emotionally insecure and clingy in her flashback with the MC and delusional, given that she views her life as a fairy tale. The MC also tells Agent Kim in Chapter 2 that s/he *knew* Kate, possibly suggesting that her personality has changed drastically since their time at Hartfeld. Although she is found in Chapter 7, seemingly drugged and disoriented, some fans believe that she was acting. From Chapter 14 onwards, it is revealed that Jeff Duffy is the mastermind behind all the murders as revenge.
 * In addition, others believe that the Emerson family could be involved in Kate's disappearance (see the 'Grant had an affair with Kate' theory below). Grant says in Chapter 1 that the Emersons and the Sterlings are rivals, and Pierce believes in Chapter 2 that Grant is trying to capitalize on the Sterlings' embarrassment, showing he distrusts the Emersons, and the Emersons therefore probably distrust him back. In addition, some fans are very suspicious of Grant's behavior. He comes off as a little *too* nice and appears to show up randomly and frequently. He also doesn't have a back story similar to Flynn and Naomi, who the players have gotten to know more about throughout the story. It is believed that he is secretly a criminal mastermind similar to Nathan from The Junior, or he could have unintentionally lured Kate to her kidnapper. By Chapter 14 onwards, it is proven that the Emersons had nothing to do with her disappearance. However, the Emersons do take over to lead Birchport as the Sterling rule is over.
 * Grant had an affair with Kate: Given how Kate gave the MC a note which said Ulysses, and Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th US President, and the MC found a Russian carving which says "My Heart, My Soul" in a nearby cabin near where Kate was last seen before the wedding, some fans believe Kate and Grant had an affair, and the Emersons are involved in her disappearance. As stated above, the Emersons had nothing to do with her disappearance. Also, there was nothing in their dialogue until the book's end to suggest an affair, and by the end of the book, Kate is pregnant with Tanner's child.
 * Pierce's secretary: In Chapter 6, it is mentioned that Alanis died in a mysterious house fire. Some fans believe that the locket found in Chapter 3 could be hers and that Pierce had an affair with her and killed her to cover it up. Another possibility is she discovered he was a criminal and he killed her to prevent his crimes from being exposed. As seen in Chapter 13, while it is true that Pierce had an affair with her and that she gave birth to a son, Pierce did not kill her. In Chapter 14, Margaret states that she had Nikolai kill Alanis for her.
 * Fireworks: The two persons of interest, Scarlett Emerson and Tony Rez, are proven innocent in the bonus scene of Chapter 16 (if you completed all 22 clues shown throughout the series) when it's revealed that Jeff Duffy was the person behind on 4th of July Gala fireworks display explosion. On the morning of the gala, he came to the Sterling Mansion for "inspection" on the pyrotechnics that will be used on the night of the gala. It is also part of his killing spree and his dream to remove the Sterling family's history on Birchport.
 * Michael Kim as an antagonist: Even though Michael Kim interrogated the MC with a somewhat condensing tone and it was implied in some scenes that he didn't believe him/her, some fans thought that Michael Kim was in on the crime spree and wanted to find out what s/he knew so he could silence him/her (or at least arrest the MC for his/her illegal actions during the investigation, such as stealing evidence from a crime scene). This was debunked in the final chapter when Michael Kim thanks the MC, saying that his/her efforts were a massive help to close the official investigation. He mentions that he won't press charges against the MC since his/her actions were for the greater good, letting him/her go (and even offering him/her a job at the FBI).
 * Bryce is alive: Because Bryce's body was (initially) never found and Nikolai mentioned that someone was "still alive", fans thought that Bryce could have survived the explosion in Chapter 9. This was debunked in the final chapter; Bryce's body was eventually found, confirming that he did not survive.
 * Potential Love Interests: Given Kate's disappearance, and also, given that Scarlett's brother Grant is a love interest, some fans believe that Scarlett will become a love interest, similar to how Connor and Stacy were both love interests in It Lives in the Woods. The book has ended, and Scarlett becoming a love interest is still a question but maybe unlikely. This is debunked when Scarlett was never seen after the Fourth of July gala.
 * Final clue: It is believed that the final clue will lead to a new investigation completely unrelated to the Sterlings' and Jeff Duffy's crimes. This was debunked in the final chapter when the last clue is revealed to be Duffy's diary, which contains evidence of his crimes.
 * Multiple book possibilities: Some fans think that if this story gets more than one book (which is implied by the fact that the book was initially called Veil of Secrets, Book 1 rather than just Veil of Secrets), Book 1 could be about what happened to Kate and about finding her, and Book 2, if Kate is alive, will be about if she really is the person we’ve come to know and love. It is also believed that the series will become an anthology similar to the It Lives series. Fans believe that a possible future story could focus on the MC and his/her love interests solving a different unrelated crime in Birchport, the MC in a new town with a new set of love interests solving a crime, or may focus on a new MC all together. PB debunked this when they said VoS is meant to be a standalone book.