Nicknames and pseudonyms are used frequently throughout the novel to symbolize peoples’ secrecy and multi-layered complexity. In the most extreme cases, some characters have actually changed their names officially, making their identities a mystery until Brynn starts researching them. One example of this is the murder victim, Mr. William Larkin, whose name was previously William Robbins. As Mr. Larkin, he also went by the nickname Will, but as William Robbins, he used the nickname Billy. Mr. Larkin’s pseudonyms and nicknames illustrate how he was more complex than the kids realized. At first, everyone (including the police) assumed he had no family, no social life, and no qualms with anyone, but in reality, he had all those things but was secretive about them. To uncover the truth about Mr. Larkin’s murder, they first have to uncover the truth about his identity.

Through investigating Mr. Larkin, Brynn also learns that her friend Mason is really Mr. Larkin’s younger brother, Mikey Robbins, and that Mason’s mother is really Lila Robbins. They fled Mason’s father and Lila’s husband, Dexter, because he was controlling and abusive, but they had to change their names for safety. This revelation about characters’ true identities is also important because it shows that Lila and Mikey are harmless, and that having multiple identities does not always indicate guilt.