# Secrecy and Deception in Ashton-Kirk, Investigator

> Theme guide for Ashton-Kirk, Investigator by John T. McIntyre.

Characters frequently conceal their true motives, whereabouts, and relationships, leading to misunderstandings and complicating the investigation, as seen with Miss Vale's secret visits and Morris's hidden plans.

## Where it surfaces

- [Ashton-Kirk, Investigator](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ashton_kirk_investigator_se/chapters/ashton-kirk-investigator): The circumstances surrounding Hume's death involve hidden motives and concealed truths.
- [Miss Edyth Vale States Her Case](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ashton_kirk_investigator_se/chapters/ii-miss-edyth-vale-states-her-case): Miss Vale conceals her true motives when visiting Hume's shop and later deceives Allan Morris about the idol's origin.
- [III: The Portraits of General Wayne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ashton_kirk_investigator_se/chapters/iii-the-portraits-of-general-wayne): Miss Vale hides her true emotions and asks Ashton-Kirk to forget her confession; Pendleton's search for her is kept quiet.
- [Stillman Asks Questions](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ashton_kirk_investigator_se/chapters/v-stillman-asks-questions): Pendleton's suspicions about Edyth Vale's disappearance and Allan Morris's connection to Hume hint at hidden truths and deceptive appearances.
- [VI: Ashton-Kirk Looks About](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ashton_kirk_investigator_se/chapters/vi-ashton-kirk-looks-about): Berg initially hesitates to share information; Sams calculates risks before revealing what he saw; the woman's identity and actions remain mysterious.
- [VII: The Schwartz-Michael Bayonet](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ashton_kirk_investigator_se/chapters/vii-the-schwartz-michael-bayonet): Allan Morris's secret visits to Hume and Edyth Vale's midnight actions highlight hidden motives and deception.
- [IX: Miss Vale Tells What She Knows](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ashton_kirk_investigator_se/chapters/ix-miss-vale-tells-what-she-knows): Miss Vale initially deceives Ashton-Kirk out of fear, then reveals the truth, highlighting the tension between hiding and revealing.
- [X: Ashton-Kirk Asks Questions](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ashton_kirk_investigator_se/chapters/x-ashton-kirk-asks-questions): The bayonet sale is shrouded in incomplete records and a buyer who avoided giving a full address, suggesting deliberate concealment.
- [XI: Pendleton Is Vastly Enlightened](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ashton_kirk_investigator_se/chapters/xi-pendleton-is-vastly-enlightened): The hidden message in tallow, the secret hiding place behind the portrait, and the deceptive nature of the bell sound all underscore themes of concealment.
- [XII: Antonio Spatola Appears](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ashton_kirk_investigator_se/chapters/xii-antonio-spatola-appears): Spatola's angry denial of knowing shorthand suggests he is hiding something.
- [A New Light on Allan Morris](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ashton_kirk_investigator_se/chapters/xiii-a-new-light-on-allan-morris): Allan Morris conceals his identity by using the alias Crawford, visiting Spatola in secret and hiding his true profession.
- [Miss Vale Unexpectedly Appears](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ashton_kirk_investigator_se/chapters/xiv-miss-vale-unexpectedly-appears): Ashton-Kirk deliberately extinguishes the lantern to observe Locke and Miss Vale without being seen, highlighting the theme of hidden motives and covert observation.
- [Miss Vale Departs Suddenly](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ashton_kirk_investigator_se/chapters/xv-miss-vale-departs-suddenly): Miss Vale's secret meeting with Locke, her flight, and the use of shorthand and burned notes highlight layers of concealment.
- [Steel Against Steel](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ashton_kirk_investigator_se/chapters/xvi-steel-against-steel): Ashton-Kirk probes Miss Vale's hidden activities and Allan Morris's concealment, while she attempts to maintain a facade of innocence.
- [XVII: What Happened on the Road](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ashton_kirk_investigator_se/chapters/xvii-what-happened-on-the-road): Miss Vale's feigned mechanical trouble and Spatola's disguise as a laborer highlight layers of deception and hidden motives.
- [XVIII: Ashton-Kirk Tells Why](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ashton_kirk_investigator_se/chapters/xviii-ashton-kirk-tells-why): Miss Vale's secret visits to Locke and Morris, the coded message in the gloves, and Ashton-Kirk's disguise and surveillance all highlight layers of concealment.
- [XIX: The Two Reports](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ashton_kirk_investigator_se/chapters/xix-the-two-reports): Hume's past as a smuggler and his use of aliases (D. Purtell) highlight the theme of hidden identities and criminal deception.
- [XX: One of the Old Sort](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ashton_kirk_investigator_se/chapters/xx-one-of-the-old-sort): Allan Morris's disappearance and Tobin's cautious responses underscore the theme of hidden truths and deception.
- [Ashton-Kirk Begins to Plan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ashton_kirk_investigator_se/chapters/xxi-ashton-kirk-begins-to-plan): Ashton-Kirk withholds his full reasoning from Pendleton and uses the newspaper announcement to lure the criminals.
- [XXII: Ashton-Kirk Is Annoyed](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ashton_kirk_investigator_se/chapters/xxii-ashton-kirk-is-annoyed): Miss Vale continues to deceive Ashton-Kirk about her knowledge of Allan Morris and her visit to Locke, while Ashton-Kirk reveals he has seen through her acts.
- [The Second Night](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ashton_kirk_investigator_se/chapters/xxiv-the-second-night): The chapter is steeped in hidden identities, concealed motives, and secret actions—both the vigil and Sagon's theft of the papers underscore layers of deception.
- [XXV: Approaching the Finish](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ashton_kirk_investigator_se/chapters/xxv-approaching-the-finish): Locke's secretive lurking, Hume's denial of the plans, and Morris's hidden financial troubles all involve deception.
- [The Finish](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ashton_kirk_investigator_se/chapters/xxvi-the-finish): Locke's hidden bomb and his deceptive calm mask his true intentions, while the earlier deceptions of Morris and Spatola are unraveled.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ashton_kirk_investigator_se/themes/secrecy_and_deception
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ashton_kirk_investigator_se/themes