The Last to Vanish

Abby surprises Cory with her unannounced visit and is reminded of their brief romance 10 years prior. Seeing his front door, Abby remembers leaving his house for the final time, ending their relationship. Abby feels that Cory refuses to speak honestly and dodges any real questions so that she can never learn the truth about his character or any realities he might be hiding about Cutter’s Pass. Cory is renovating his house, and Abby is delightedly surprised by the more modern changes.

Cory coyly dismisses Abby’s direct questions about Alice. When Abby shows Cory the picture of Alice’s backpack, Cory asks Abby if she is accusing him of being involved in her disappearance. Abby clarifies that she would not confront Cory if she believed him to be dangerous. Cory advises Abby to get rid of her backpack and stop asking questions. Cory’s parents arrive, and Abby and Cory lie about Abby’s presence. Abby remembers Marina and Ray’s disapproval of their relationship; she believes they saw Abby as an outsider in Cutter’s Pass and unsuitable for their son. Frustrated by not getting any answers from Cory, Abby decides to visit Harris and ask him about Alice.

Abby speaks with Samantha, Harris’s wife, while waiting for Harris to return from a call. Samantha asks about Trey and implies feeling isolated and discontent living on the outskirts of Cutter’s Pass. Samantha believes the townspeople still treat her like an outsider even though she and Harris returned to Cutter’s Pass four years prior. Samantha confesses that Harris advises her to run errands and socialize with people outside of Cutter’s Pass.

Abby asks Harris if he believes Cory participated in Alice’s disappearance in any way. Harris claims he is clueless to the truth, noting how he did not live near Cutter’s Pass at the time of Alice’s disappearance. However, he warns Abby to be careful in her investigation, believing the townspeople will protect Cory at all costs, even if he is guilty of contributing to any disappearances. Entering Georgia’s car, Abby recognizes a key marked with the letter “E” on Georgia’s keyring as belonging to a locker at The Edge, Jack’s store.

Abby drives through downtown Cutter’s Pass on her way back to the inn, seeing it differently than the picturesque, charming small town she witnessed while driving to Cory’s house. She notices how the long-term residents of Cutter’s Pass move differently than the tourists passing through; the townspeople weave through the crowds, ignoring and avoiding the outsiders while keeping to themselves.

Abby stops at The Edge, trying to appear nonchalant while acknowledging her intentional breach of Georgia’s privacy. She shows Jack her key, claiming she is helping Georgia with an errand. Jack presents her with the ledger for the lockers and is then distracted by customers. Abby cannot find Georgia’s name in the log. Just as she is about to forgo her search, she sees her name written next to Locker 203 in unfamiliar handwriting. Abby uses a black Sharpie to cross out her name. Georgia’s key opens Locker 203, and Abby finds Landon’s journal, his cell phone, and Farrah’s camera. She discreetly places the items in Alice’s backpack and leaves abruptly. She notices Trey’s car parked near Georgia’s as she leaves and suspects Trey is following her.

Wanting to disappear, Abby feels trapped in Cutter’s Pass, realizing she does not have a car in her name to leave town. She cannot quit her job as that would cause her to lose her housing. Abby realizes that the community members would feel her absence if she were to leave. She sends a private message to Quinn asking for more pictures of Alice while hiding Alice’s backpack in her apartment and preparing for her shift. Later, as Abby closes the lobby for the evening, Trey approaches Abby and requests a conversation.

Sensing Trey’s anger and frustration, Abby leads him to a more open, public location of the inn to talk. Trey tells Abby that Landon spent a night at their parents’ house before traveling to Cutter’s Pass. In his childhood bedroom, Landon left a piece of paper with the numbers 8-1 written next to the inn’s phone number. Abby realizes the numbers align with Georgia’s typical hourly shift, a detail Trey already observed. Trey reiterates how he knows Georgia from somewhere else, though he cannot place her. He asks Abby why the police never formally interviewed her after Landon’s disappearance, and he confesses to stealing the inn’s binder. Abby explains how little she interacted with Landon, becoming more guarded and defensive, knowing Trey’s investigation is becoming too intrusive. Abby decides not to tell Trey about Landon’s cell phone and notebook.

Returning to her apartment, Abby finds Cory holding Alice’s backpack and Landon’s journal. Enraged, Abby asks Cory how and why he is in her room while reaching for the evidence. Cory admits he is there to clear his name, believing Abby suspects him of being involved in the disappearances. He asks Abby why she has Landon’s notebook and cell phone. Abby recounts her discoveries from earlier in the day, and Cory admits to knowing a connection between Georgia’s father and the West brothers. Cory believes Georgia found Farrah’s camera and sent Landon the photos. When Georgia discovered Landon missing from his room, she confiscated his cell phone and notebook, hiding them with the camera at The Edge to prevent others from uncovering her connection to Landon.

Cory speaks to Abby as if she is an insider while referring to Georgia as an outsider. Abby and Cory read Landon’s notebook. He used the inn’s phone to call townspeople from Cutter’s Pass and inquire about Farrah and Alice’s disappearances. Cory admits Landon called him, something he never disclosed to the police.

Cory also confesses that he never saw Alice at the Last Stop Tavern, something he previously reported to the police. This admission drastically changes Alice’s last known location. He admits to underage drinking on the night of Alice’s disappearance. Patrick told Cory that other people saw someone who looked like Alice outside the tavern. Cory lied and confirmed this sighting to turn any further investigation away from him. Marina and Ray backed their son’s story, and Cory has since felt that his own parents suspect him of harming Alice.

Cory believes they should burn Landon’s notebook and eliminate the other evidence, as he and Abby both look guilty. Abby stops Cory from placing Landon’s notebook on her lit stove when she sees “THE FRATERNITY FIVE” written on one of the pages (219).