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 they have 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 peak shown on May 29th, 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 murder mystery given the blood splatter and stains in the first sneak peek and that like Endless Summer paid homage to Lost, Hero to DC/Marvel and Bloodbound to TVD 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 through the game's assets (and then confirmed in Chapter 4) that Flynn was the masked man.
 * What Kate wanted to tell us - There are a couple 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 peak 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 A., 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 end the Sterling line.
 * 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.

Unconfirmed Theories

 * Multiple Book Possibilities - Some fans think that if this series gets more than one book (which is implied by the fact that Book 1 is called "Veil of Secrets, Book 1" rather than just "Veil of Secrets") that Book 1 could be about what happened to Kate, and 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 their 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.
 * 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.
 * Potential suspects/antagonists:
 * 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 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 they *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.
 * Some fans also believe that a man in a red jacket (shown in Flynn and Naomi's sneak peaks) could be an antagonist, especially because in Naomi's sneak peak, 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 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 Sterlings are rivals, and Pierce believes in Chapter 2 that Grant is trying to capitalise on the Sterling's embarrassment, showing he distrusts the Emersons, and the Emersons therefore probably distrust him back. In addition, some fans are very suspicious of Grant's behaviour. 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.
 * 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 regarding that he could be an ex-KGB agent or mafia hitman.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * Naomi will become the Police Chief - Some fans believe that Chief Walsh will eventually be fired or arrested for his corruption, and Naomi will be new Chief.
 * 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.
 * Michael Kim - Some fans are starting to believe that Michael Kim will become an antagonist given that he has taken a more derogatory and condescending tone with the MC in recent chapters, as if he's starting to doubt that we're a reliable source. It is believed that he may secretly be involved in Birchport's crime spree and wants to see how much information we've uncovered to determine whether or not he feels it necessary to threaten or kill us.
 * Fireworks - There are currently two prime suspects as to who sabotaged the Fireworks in Chapter 9. Some fans believe that it could be Scarlett Emerson given that Chapter 9 highlighted her greedy and selfish personality, and she could be trying to kill the Sterlings so that the Emersons will be Birchport's wealthiest family. Other fans believe that it could be Tony Rez given that he ran away from the MC when they spotted him and he has a reputation as a criminal. However, it is speculated that if Rez did sabotage the fireworks, he was taking orders from someone else.
 * Surveillance- In Chapter 11, district attorney Mac Hornby accuses you of being in a relationship with whichever love interests you have been intimidate with in order to sabotage the investigation. This had led fans to believe that the MC was being followed.
 * Bryce is alive- At the end of Chapter 12, Nikolai weakly mutters that someone is still alive. This had led fans to believe he was talking about Bryce due to the fact that the police never found his body.
 * Duffy will commit suicide - Some fans believe that, given Jeff Duffy wants to end the Sterling line, and he himself is a Sterling, he will kill all the remaining Sterlings and then himself to end the Sterling bloodline.
 * 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 peak showed Tanner looking furious rather than anxious at his fiancee's disappearance. This was debunked at the end of Chapter 4 when Tanner is revealed to be dead.
 * The description for Chapter 4 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).
 * Junior connection- There is a theory that the Sterlings from this story are related to Nathan Sterling from The Junior. This theory was later debunked via livestream as Pixelberry stated that Nathan's last name in connection to the Sterlings is purely coincidental.
 * Kate as a love interest- In response to a player, Pixelberry stated that Kate isn't a love interest.
 * 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 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 was 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.
 * 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 stated that she had Nikolai kill Alanis for her.