The Last to Vanish

Abby’s discomfort with the disconnected phone lines at the inn represents her natural Desire for Human Connection. Abby interprets the downed phone lines as a potential danger as she loses the ability to call for help if needed: “The real danger came in the places we didn’t see it, without warning. Trey’s arrival; the cut phone lines; the hidden flash drive—” (143). The phone lines represent Abby’s desire to be a closer part of the insider community in Cutter’s Pass in general. Abby often refers to herself as an outsider, constantly feeling politely distanced from the core group in town. Even though she has lived and worked in Cutter’s Pass for over a decade, she never feels entirely accepted by the locals. Abby is brushed off or met with silence any time she attempts to uncover the secrets about the missing people, like how the phone lines at the inn seem to cut out when she needs them most.

Ironically, Abby contacts Harris, the man responsible for killing three people, to reconnect her phone lines. Celeste, Abby, and Georgia extensively protect themselves and the inn’s guests from natural dangers (weather, animals, getting lost on hikes, accidents, etc.). At the same time, they allow Harris to move freely and unsupervised through all private areas of the inn. Harris’s unchecked access to the inn to repair the phone lines represents the threat of human danger instead of natural hazard. Too late, Abby realizes how the town’s blind trust in Harris protects him from being caught for his crimes.

Photographs of the missing people, especially when viewed by Abby, represent the importance of perspective. Abby possesses a unique perspective as not entirely an insider or outsider in Cutter’s Pass. Although the photo of the Fraternity Four has been hanging in the Last Stop Tavern for decades, Abby notices different details when she observes the picture up close. As Neil’s daughter, she pays close attention to his face, and as an employee of the Passage Inn, Abby can easily recognize the inn’s logo reflected in Neil’s sunglasses. Countless people study the photo of the Fraternity Four, as it is the only evidence in their missing persons case. Only when Abby scrutinizes the image, bringing her unique perspective to her investigation, is the mystery solved.

Additionally, Abby studies photos of Alice, and, in doing so, she uncovers the truth about Harris as her killer. Abby studies Farrah’s photography as well, observing “stark branches overlapping as far as the eye could see. You couldn’t hide in the winter. The mountain knew you were here. But there was also a safety in it: Nothing could hide from you, either” (103). Abby’s reflection about the forest in winter represents the roles of the photographer and viewer of an image. People who investigate disappearances focus on the subject of each photo, when the answers lie in who took the pictures and who views them.