The Last Thing He Told Me

Hannah’s ongoing focus on Bailey serves two purposes: to reinforce Owen’s devotion to Bailey, which bolsters Hannah’s belief Owen would never have left his daughter if there were any alternatives, and to prepare the reader for the decision Hannah will make in the final chapters about how to move forward.

When US Marshal Bradford surprises Hannah on her front porch and gives her a cup of coffee prepared exactly the way she likes it, he tells her an employee of the local coffee shop told him how she takes her coffee. Hannah established earlier that she felt Sausalito was a close and guarded community by revealing how her neighbors hesitated to accept her as Owen’s wife, but this small act—the coffee made to her specifications—signals that Sausalito is a literary crucible: a physical space that puts pressure on the protagonist and forces her to act.

For Hannah, there is no privacy in Sausalito, and no escape. Everyone knows about the downfall of Owen’s company. The neighbors are watching and no doubt see that Hannah is visited by a US Marshal and the FBI. Hannah does not have the luxury of anonymity, nor does she have the option to simply stay put and let events unfold. Hannah’s encounter with Carl and Patty Conrad intensifies the crucible aspect of Sausalito: Carl is Owen’s dearest friend, and as such, Hannah anticipated both his insights and assistance to finding Owen. But she receives neither. Instead, the Conrads are furious, leaving Hannah without an ally in Sausalito. (Note: Jules is Hannah’s ally, but she lives in San Francisco and does not know Owen any better than Hannah does). This ramps up the stakes for Hannah. If she cannot solve the mystery of Owen’s disappearance, will she be a social pariah in Sausalito? Will Bailey be an outcast in the only home she has ever known? As the crucible becomes even more uncomfortable, Hannah must act.

The tension in the novel ratchets up a notch with the visit from US Marshal Grady Bradford, and as Bradford wonders aloud why Hannah is not angry with Owen, the central theme of the book—Hannah’s belief in Owen—reappears. Hannah deflects Bradford’s questions, and it becomes obvious to the reader that Bradford is manipulating Hannah to some extent. He scares her by saying that Bailey could be taken from her, but then assures her that he has obviated this issue by contacting a family lawyer as a favor to her. This behavior—the push and pull of fear and reassurances, questions and answers—sows seeds of distrust about Bradford and casts his motives as dubious. This also lays the groundwork for the reader to sympathize with Hannah’s own doubts about Bradford who, the reader will learn, has more invested in the case than he initially admits.

When Hannah opens Owen’s laptop and keys in the password, the reader breathes a sigh of relief: Her having Owen’s computer password means Owen has nothing to hide. But the relief is short-lived as Hannah sees photos of Olivia and realizes how very little Bailey looks like her mother, foreshadowing the discovery to come: Olivia is not Bailey’s mother. The passage about Olivia resembling Hannah, however, is a red herring. While there may be some resemblance, that thread is never again picked up, and has no bearing on the story other than to prick the reader’s interest.

The “L. Paul” written above Owen’s signature on his will, however, will prove meaningful. Who is “L. Paul” and why does it matter? “L. Paul” will provide an important clue as to Owen’s intentions and lead to the resolution of the novel, but as soon as the mysterious annotation is introduced, Hannah’s thoughts are interrupted by the arrival of the FBI agents, and the clue remains untouched for now.

The crucible of Sausalito intensifies in the fact that the FBI agents have followed Hannah to her workshop, and when they express surprise about US Marshal Bradford’s visit, the stakes rise even higher. What do these federal agents want, and which of them is deceiving her? Can Bradford be trusted when he says he wants to protect Owen?

When Hannah is questioned about Avett’s wife Belle and reveals to the reader she has called Belle six times and received no response, the reader understands Hannah is truly all alone in her quest to solve the mystery of Owen’s disappearance. She is desperate, not only for answers but to protect Bailey; this desperation will be revealed when her choice of lawyer, Jake Anderson, is explained.

Hannah’s isolation has intensified as the next chapter opens. Carl and Patty Conrad are furious, Belle is not returning her calls, the neighbors are openly staring, the US Marshal knows how she likes her coffee, and the FBI agents followed her to her workshop. Hannah has no safe haven during the storm caused by Owen’s disappearance. In her desperation, she turns to Jake Anderson—her former fiancé. Jake’s ego and insistence that Hannah is too damaged by childhood trauma to be in a relationship leave the reader wondering how Hannah thought that marrying him was a good idea; however, he stands in stark contrast to Owen, who, as Hannah tells it, is everything Jake is not: patient, kind, accepting.

Hannah explains Jake was wrong about her, saying, “He never understood that I wasn’t scared of someone leaving me. I was scared that the wrong person would stay” (72). This statement contradicts the account in Chapter 3, when Hannah experiences intense anxiety and vomiting after realizing Owen is gone, just as she did when she realized her mother was gone and again when her grandfather died. Knowing this, the reader wonders just how accurate Hannah’s insights are. Does she really understand herself? Is she truly unafraid of people leaving or is that actually the thing she fears the most? Is Hannah so accustomed to being abandoned that she unconsciously chose Owen because she noticed, but failed to heed, the red flags suggesting he was not being truthful about his past?

While Jake agrees to help Hannah, he cannot stop himself from admonishing her: “[I]n the future … don’t say someone is innocent, okay? Say he’s not guilty, if you have to say something. But saying someone’s innocent makes you sound like an idiot. Especially when most people are guilty as f**k” (75). This is another cliffhanger deployed to keep the tension high and propel the reader forward to the next chapter in an attempt to discover whether Owen falls in the category of “most people” or whether he truly is “innocent,” as Hannah believes.

Despite all of the doubts about Hannah’s insights and Owen’s true character, Hannah’s ability to conversationally parry with the US Marshal and the FBI agents, as well as the hostile Conrads, suggests that Hannah is a strong, confident woman, who thinks on her feet and is not easily intimidated. Of what use that will be is still unknown, but the reader is gaining confidence that ultimately, Hannah will solve the mystery of Owen’s disappearance.