The knife from Kelly Summers’s murder, which Bob hides, is symbolic of mistrust and contributes to the theme of Trust and Betrayal in Intimate Relationships. Sarah originally entrusts Bob with the knife after she stabs Kelly to death because she wants him to dispose of it for her. Bob tells Sarah that he has discarded the murder weapon, but he later reveals to his attorney Brad that he held onto the knife just in case Sarah tried to turn against him. The knife ties Sarah to Kelly’s death; presenting the Prince William County Sheriff’s Office with this evidence is Bob’s way of destroying Sarah to avoid his own culpability. When the knife resurfaces in The Perfect Divorce, Bob reveals himself to be distrustful of Sarah. He has operated under the guise of the faithful, loving, and loyal husband, but has been anticipating Sarah’s betrayal.

The roses that Bob buys for Sarah shortly after she files for divorce are symbolic of the role that Bob is playing, which also contributes to the theme of the tension between private identity and public image. Bob still wants others (including Sarah) to regard him as a loyal, blameless husband. He brings her the roses when he comes over for dinner one night in hopes that Sarah will give up on the divorce and reconcile with him.

Roses are an archetypal symbol of love and romance. However, the roses that Bob brings Sarah have thorns on the stems and stab him in the palm. This imagery foreshadows how Bob’s attempts to hide behind a facade will be exposed, just as the thorns are exposed in the seemingly harmless flower. He ultimately won’t be able to win back Sarah’s trust, repair their relationship, or beat Sarah at her game. Love therefore sours because Bob and Sarah don’t trust each other.

The lake house where Sarah keeps Stacy Howard after kidnapping her is symbolic of secrets and deception. On the plot level, the lake house offers Sarah a way to execute her plan: Sarah wants to make people believe that Bob is behind Stacy and Carissa’s kidnappings. She hides Stacy in the lake house because the property belongs to both her and Bob. The property is also located in “the middle of nowhere” (244), which makes it less likely for others to find the house right away.

This is the setting where Sarah literally hides Stacy, but it also represents the totality of her secretive life and deceptive tendencies. Like her marriage to Bob, it has a tranquil façade that obscures the dangerous secrets concealed beneath. Sarah has hidden many truths from the people in her life, including herself; she has shoved her traumas and her crimes into the metaphoric basement of her psyche.