Smitty may be closer than ever to exposing The Impaler, and this time, the fallout could reach far beyond Heather. After the events of the August 18 episode, Smitty made it clear that he cannot leave town until The Impaler is unmasked. His determination becomes even more significant because of the opportunity to appear on a true-crime podcast. What began as an investigation into a dangerous criminal could soon become the revelation that finally forces Heather’s secret into the open—and exposes how much Joey has been hiding from Vanessa.
Smitty’s statement that he “can’t stop until the Impaler is unmasked” changes the direction of the investigation. He is no longer simply searching for clues or trying to connect suspicious events. His objective is now direct: identify The Impaler and expose the truth. With a public platform potentially available through the podcast, Smitty could have a way to take his investigation beyond private conversations and bring the evidence directly into the spotlight.
That possibility creates a major problem for Heather. Heather has already been confirmed as The Impaler, meaning Smitty’s investigation is moving toward a truth that the audience already knows. The suspense now comes from when—and how—that truth becomes public. Heather’s greatest danger may no longer be someone discovering a suspicious clue. It may be Smitty putting everything together and presenting the evidence in a way that becomes impossible to suppress.
But the most explosive part of this storyline may involve Vanessa. She recently confronted Joey directly, asking whether Heather had been involved in anything dangerous or illegal. That question was a major warning sign because Vanessa was clearly beginning to sense that something about Heather was not right. Instead of giving her an honest answer, Joey refused to reveal what he knew. His silence could eventually become more damaging than any lie he has already told.
The key issue is that Joey already knows Heather’s identity as The Impaler. That means his refusal to answer Vanessa was not simply uncertainty or confusion. He was withholding information while knowing exactly how dangerous Heather could be. If Vanessa eventually discovers that Joey knew the truth when she asked him directly, the emotional impact could be enormous. The revelation would not only destroy her trust in Heather—it could force her to question everything Joey has told her.
Joey’s previous lie about his encounter with The Impaler could become especially important once Smitty exposes Heather. Vanessa may begin connecting details that previously seemed unrelated. Why did Joey refuse to answer her question? Why did he minimize or conceal what he knew? And why was he so determined to keep her from investigating Heather further? Once Heather’s identity becomes public, those unanswered questions could suddenly have very obvious answers.
There is also an even darker possibility surrounding Joey. Heather reportedly wanted Joey to make Smitty “disappear” because the investigation had moved dangerously close to the truth. Joey refused. That decision could eventually become one of the most important details in the entire storyline. His refusal suggests that Joey may have been willing to protect Heather to a certain point, but he still had a boundary he would not cross. The question is whether Vanessa will ever learn how close Joey came to becoming involved in something much more serious.
The true-crime podcast could therefore become the perfect trigger for the next major explosion. If Smitty uses the platform to publicly discuss The Impaler, Heather could suddenly lose the ability to control the narrative. Every suspicious detail surrounding her could be examined. Every connection could be questioned. And once her identity is revealed, Joey’s behavior could become part of the story as well.
That is where the biggest consequence could land. Vanessa may initially believe the bombshell is simply that Heather is The Impaler. But the deeper betrayal could be discovering that Joey already knew. He looked her in the eyes, heard her questions, understood exactly what she was trying to uncover, and still chose silence. For Vanessa, that could be more devastating than Heather’s criminal secret itself.
The biggest mystery now is how much Joey actually knows about Heather’s operation. Is he simply protecting his sister, or has he been hiding a deeper connection to what she has been doing? There is not enough evidence to confirm that Joey played a direct role, but his silence leaves an enormous information gap. That uncertainty is exactly what makes his storyline so dangerous.
If Smitty succeeds, Heather’s secret may be only the first domino to fall. His investigation could expose The Impaler, force Vanessa to confront the truth, and ultimately destroy Joey’s carefully constructed story. The real bombshell may not be that Heather was The Impaler all along. It may be that Joey knew the truth—and Vanessa was the last person allowed to know.
Smitty may be hunting The Impaler, but Vanessa could be the one who discovers Joey’s biggest secret.
