In Episode 4 of "The Last Thing He Told Me," we bear witness to the fateful first encounter between Bailey and Hannah. Bailey appeared cool and detached, a stark contrast to Hannah's warm and reassuring demeanor. As Hannah remarked at the time, with a hint of wry amusement, "She is her own person," referring to Bailey.
Shifting to the present, Bailey and Hannah delve into the deceitful tapestry of Owen's years-long lies. Bailey grapples with a profound crisis of identity; she realizes that her very essence has been overshadowed by someone else's narrative, and the revelation that Owen deceived her for over a decade strikes her to the core. Determined to uncover the true face of Owen, Bailey proposes they stay in Austin, and Hannah concurs.
The following morning, Hannah resolves to reach out to US Marshal Grady's office. Her call is met with the curt information that Grady is "on vacation." Undeterred, she secures his contact and dials him directly. Grady, currently in the company of his son, Marco, appears to be a solitary figure, sans the presence of a mother in their lives. Their conversation is fraught with hesitation and half-truths, a dance of reluctance where neither party has managed to earn the other's trust.
Grady's tone hints at an undercurrent of danger, suggesting that Hannah and Bailey's safety is not assured. His protective stance towards Owen, evident in his attempts to shield him from Hannah, deepens this suspicion. Hannah's mind drifts back to a letter from her mother, Carole, who was then with her new partner in Montreal. The postcard Carole sent lacked even the basic detail of Hannah's grade, sparking a pang of disappointment in her. Her grandfather, Andrew, had been her steadfast guardian and mentor, teaching her the wisdom that "You choose what you pay attention to." – advice that now resonates profoundly with her actions in this episode.
Indeed, Hannah applies this wisdom aptly. Recalling Owen's narratives about his past, she theorizes that while he couldn't have fabricated every intricacy, some details must hold a kernel of truth. A name resonates – Tobias Cookman, a professor from Princeton who might hold the key to unraveling Owen's past. Now at the University of Texas, he becomes their next destination.
Elsewhere, Jules informs Hannah that the key she discovered in the piggy bank, as seen in Episode 3, unlocks a fire-proof safe. However, Hannah is at a loss, unaware of such a safe's existence in their home.
Grady returns to work with renewed determination, setting his team in pursuit of Hannah's whereabouts, driven by an urgent need to uncover her location. However, his boss intercepts him, accusing him of harassing Hannah. Grady defends his actions passionately, yet his superior remains unconvinced, insisting that the matter falls outside their purview and urging Grady to abandon his pursuit.
Meanwhile, Hannah and Bailey manage to secure a meeting with Cookman, who initially struggles to recall much about Owen, his former student. As Hannah unfolds her narrative, Cookman, though still unaware of Owen's former identity, decides to lend them his support. Elsewhere, Jules searches fruitlessly for the duffel bag filled with cash beneath the bed, where Grady had previously discovered it. She informs Jake of her findings, who immediately becomes agitated, fearing the consequences for Hannah. Jake's revelation that he once proposed to Hannah, who turned him down, adds another layer of complexity to the situation.
Cheryl, Cookman's assistant, manages to pinpoint the year Owen attended his class – 1997. Scrutinizing the roster, he struggles to recall the name of the "young woman" whom Owen had blamed for his academic downfall, a woman he had fallen in love with and lost focus. Hannah decides to delve into the 1997 yearbook to uncover the mystery student's name.
Concurrently, Grady learns that Hannah and Bailey are in Austin, prompting him to rush off to locate them, his concern evident. Before examining the yearbook, Bailey confides in Hannah about her identity crisis, touching on their shared, tumultuous backgrounds. Hannah recalls a pivotal moment when she chose to avoid a visit from Carole, realizing suddenly that the safe might be hidden in her wood-turning workshop – a place where Owen knew she would never sell certain pieces, hinting at its potential location.
As Hannah deepens her connection with Bailey, she receives a call from Eleanor, a member of the church they visited in their last episode. Eleanor mentions a parishioner's suggestion to check pre-season weddings held in stadiums that year. Intrigued, Hannah discovers a wedding between Andrea Reyes and Charles Smith, but these names are absent from Cookman's 1997 roster. However, a Katherine Smith catches their attention, and upon closer inspection of her photograph, Bailey and Hannah's faces pale with recognition.
