As the novel’s mystery unfolds, both of Bel’s parents and the other trusted adults in her life intentionally try to mislead her, forcing her to follow the trail of evidence to find the truth so that she can ultimately decide for herself who to trust. For example, Rachel tries to deceive Bel about various aspects of her imprisonment even as Bel seeks to verify the truth of Rachel’s story. Due to the many inconsistencies in Rachel’s account, Bel begins to doubt her mother’s word and to view her as an unsafe and dangerous person with a sinister and unknown motive. At this point in the story, the author accordingly portrays Rachel’s presence as potentially malicious, thereby laying a red herring to create the false impression that Rachel is the villain of the tale.

Later, Bel comes to understand that Rachel’s dishonesty is intended to protect Bel from the truth of the Price family’s violent tendencies. Bel realizes that unlike Charlie’s lies, Rachel’s deceptions are motivated by love and a desire to shield her daughter from unpalatable truths. As Rachel explains to Bel during the novel’s climax, “It was so hard, lying to your face, like you were being punished too.