Jeff Duffy (Birth name: Taylor Acosta), a character in the Veil of Secrets book, was one of the deputies of the Birchport Police Department and the main antagonist. He made his first appearance in Chapter 2.
Appearance
Jeff has brown hair, blue eyes, light skin, and a stubble. He wears a sand brown police uniform over a white crew-necked T-shirt.
Personality
He is initially shown to be timid and obedient towards his chief. He is also shown to be dimwitted given that he often says or does things that make himself and Walsh look foolish.
However, this is just a cover. In Chapter 14, it is revealed that he is a cunning psychopath who is targeting the Sterlings for the death of his mother, Alanis Acosta. He ruthlessly guns down Tino Thompson, Chief Walsh, and Margaret, and takes Kate as his hostage after he learns of her pregnancy and locking you in a cell.
He feels that the Sterlings prevented him from his life of privilege and wealth, which caused him to be neglected and abused in foster homes. He believes that all the Sterlings are nothing but pure evil, and therefore must die. This is also his motive for kidnapping Kate: he didn't want her to become a Sterling and resented them so much that he wanted to erase the Sterlings from history.
If you choose to save him, he will show remorse for his crimes. If you ask him in Chapter 16 how he can live with himself, he will answer that he can't. The epilogue states he becomes a model inmate in prison.
Chapters
Veil of Secrets
Veil of Secrets
- Chapter 2: Unveiled
- Chapter 3: The Powers That Be
- Chapter 5: The Whole Bloody Affair
- Chapter 8: ...And Found
- Chapter 10: Collateral Damage
- Chapter 11: Lawful Good
- Chapter 12: The Kraken
- Chapter 13: Under the Bed
- Chapter 14: The Face of Evil
- Chapter 15: The End of the Line
- Chapter 16: All's Well That Ends... (Mentioned; Physical Appearance Determinant)
Relationships
Tommy Walsh
Jeff does whatever Walsh tells him without batting an eyelash, even degrading menial chores. This leads up to years of built-up resentment, causing Duffy to kill him in Chapter 14.
Known Victims
- Tanner Sterling (murder via slashed throat)
- Bryce Sterling (murder through rigged fireworks explosion)
- Margaret Sterling (murdered by being shot in the stomach)
- Pierce Sterling (kidnapped and attempted murder through yacht detonation)
- Tommy Walsh (murder via shot to the head)
- Kate O'Malley (kidnapped and drugged)
- Nikolai Petrov (shot, attempted murder or successful murder is determinant on player's choices)
- Tino Thompson (murder via shot to the chest)
- Grant Emerson (shot and wounded)
- Flynn O'Malley (attacked)
- Your Character (attacked)
- Naomi Silverhawk (attacked)
Gallery
Trivia
- If you look closely, you'll notice his name tag is flipped around. However, once he is revealed as the Birchport killer in Chapter 14, it's flipped back in the right direction.
- In Chapter 13, it is mentioned that he doesn't have any friends or family in Birchport.
- The letter in which his mother, Alanis Acosta, announced that she was pregnant with him is from April 1993. This means that he must have been born the same year or in very early 1994.
- His crimes include murder, attempted murder, arson, and kidnapping.
- Given that Kate was drugged against her will, this can count as infliction of bodily harm or assault depending on jurisdiction.
- He shares some similarities with the main antagonist of Scary Movie, Doofus "Doofy" Gilmore: Both have a career in Law Enforcement, both fake being incompetent, and both are criminal masterminds. In Chapter 14, he is even called "Deputy Doofus" to strengthen this.
- His fate is determinant in Chapter 15. You can choose to save him, Pierce Sterling, or let them both burn.
- If you chose to save him in Chapter 15, he is sentenced to nine consecutive life terms, and will spend the rest of his life in jail for his crimes, as revealed by the epilogue. If you choose to save Pierce, he tries to attack you, but you kick him into the bowels of the Sterling ship, where he is burnt to death.
- His birth name is revealed if you choose to save Nikolai. In the epilogue, there is a flashback of Nikolai discovering the baby after he had killed the mother. Nikolai found him holding a red octopus toy and took that as a sign from God to spare his life.
- Duffy learned the truth of his origins when he hauled Nikolai in for public drunkenness, not long before the book starts. Nikolai had recognized Duffy by his eyes.
- The description of Chapter 15 refers to him as "The Birchport Killer" although he is never called this by anyone in the story. This may be to avoid potential spoilers.
- Jeff Duffy currently holds the record for the most kills of named victims that cannot be saved with five.
Memorable Quotes
Jeff Duffy [to Walsh]: Oh, Tommy. Tommy, Tommy, Tommy. Tables have finally turned, haven't they? ... I sucked it up ... because I knew one day, I'd be standing here, ready to take my revenge... With all due respect, Chief... I'd like to file my notice of resignation. (just before shooting him) |
Jeff Duffy [to Kate]: I had to do it, Kate. I had to save you before you became one of them... But I see now... I was too late. It's already... in you. So you have to die. They all have to die. |
Jeff Duffy [to Margaret]: I hit the parental jackpot, right? My father was the richest man in town! I should've had a life of luxury, privilege, power! I should have been Tanner! |
Jeff Duffy [to Margaret]: I was cheated out of my birthright. By you, Margaret. WHEN YOU KILLED MY MOTHER! |
Jeff Duffy [to Margaret]: Sorry, Margaret. The evil stepmother always dies. |
Jeff Duffy [to MC]: It's time for us to go. Back to where it all started. Where the Sterling line began. And there... I'm going to end it at last. |
Jeff Duffy: Duffy's so dumb, why can't he do anything right... Try saying that now, huh? Try saying that now! |
Jeff Duffy: The Sterling line will disappear from the face of the earth, on the very ship that brought them to these shores. |
Jeff Duffy [to Pierce]:... You have no idea who I am, do you? ... How can you not see? How? I'm your SON! |