Vanished In Plain Sight

By Lisa Williams

Misty Lewis, a twenty-five-year-old, recent graduate student of Florida State University, has found herself in the fight of her life. Her dreams of being a nurse have been put on hold as she tries to prove her innocence of the murder of her on-again, off-again friend, Elaine Stevenson.

Only two months into her nursing career, Misty now finds herself locked behind bars in a different type of institution. Not only does she have to fight for her innocence, but she also must fight for her life in a world that she does not know anything about until she finds an unsuspected guardian by the name of Bags.

Misty has only seen the good in people until Bags helps her realize the other side of people, the cruel side, as she also attempts to help her uncover her foggy past, which releases terrible and shocking memories that had since been forgotten.

Until Misty can get this resolved, she has more than enough time on her hands to realize exactly what troubles jealousy, envy, and hate can really cause. What really happened on that fateful October night? Will Misty’s pleas of innocence continue to go unheard? Will she ever return to the world she knows, or will this life behind bars be her cage as she lives out her fifty-year sentence?

This suspenseful thriller will have you begging for more all the way until the very last page!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Publishdrive
• Release date: Dec 13, 2017
• ISBN: 1973354489

Lisa Williams

Born in Birmingham, England, Lisa Williams makes her home in Los Angeles as well as in the small town of Redditch in picturesque Worcestershire. She lives with her husband, Kevin, and eight-year-old son, Charlie, who, according to his mom, has already shown an inherited gift for natural healing and talking with spirits.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Order in the courtroom! Order in the courtroom! The large judge yelled as he slammed the small gavel on its sound block, silencing the disorderly courtroom almost immediately.

Frightened, Misty Lewis stood in front of the stern judge, wearing an orange jumpsuit with faded black letters on the back, advertising the Florida Department of Corrections- her feet tightly shackled and cuffed. Her small wrist was also shackled with her thin arms hanging loosely in front of her.

Nervously fidgeting with her fingers, she pulled off her fingernails one at a time while barely able to move her wrist in the tight cuffs.

Both sets of her metal restraints were connected and locked at her waist, making any attempt at escape virtually impossible. As her fifty-year sentence was read, her body shook nervously, terrified of what struggles lay ahead.

Misty knew, just like her disorderly friends and family in the courtroom that the sentence that was just given was unjust, and that she was innocent, but proving that in this moment seemed to be harder than serving the lengthy sentence that was just handed down to her.

Misty was a twenty-five-year-old recent college graduate of Florida State University’s Nursing School in Tallahassee Florida where she received her well-earned, two-year Associates Degree in Nursing a little over a year and two months prior, on August 5th, 2017.

She proudly accepted her well-earned degree that went along with her four-year Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing.

Misty worked extremely hard in the nursing program for six years at FSU and started her career at Capital Regional Medical Center in Tallahassee less than a month after she graduated.

Her aspirations were to care for and to help people. She wanted to be, and enjoyed being a caretaker, which is why her charge of murder in the first degree came as a shock to everyone that knew her.

Sadly, Misty had been in prison since her arrest on the morning of October 15th, 2017- two months after her graduation. Unfortunately, her bail had been denied due to the vicious murder and the scandal around it.

The trial had lasted for almost seven agonizing months, and day in and day out, Misty tried her best to plead her innocence to no avail.

The events that surrounded the murder were vague and the evidence that pointed towards Misty as being the primary culprit was limited and very scarce. The biggest flaw in the case however, and what angered everyone was the fact that a body was never found.

Misty did not have a lot of money for a lawyer let alone a good lawyer, her family was trying to make ends meet themselves, so Misty had to be represented by a public defender while the family of the alleged victim was able to afford the best Prosecutor that money could buy.

Somehow, even without a body, or sufficient evidence, the prosecutor was able to convince the twelve-panel jury that consisted of seven women and five men that Misty Lewis was the one that murdered Elaine Stevenson, who at the time was a twenty-three-year-old Florida resident that Misty had known for nearly two years.

The two were known as having an on again, off again friendship after meeting at a function on campus where they seemed to hit it off well. Although Elaine was not a student, she decided to attend the event that was open to the community, hoping to gain information on the different programs the school had to offer.

Her plans were to enroll the following semester and luckily for her, there is where she met Misty, who was a volunteer organizer of the function and was helping in passing out brochures to interested event goers.

That was Misty, always wanting to help, whether there was money involved or not. Between her work study, and a part time job at a local supermarket, Misty made just enough money to survive college life.

Luckily, with her valedictorian status, along with a 4.3 GPA, she had been awarded multiple academic scholarships to enter FSU. Fortunately for her, she would not have to worry about the dreaded, costly student loans after she graduated.

Although close in age, Misty and Elaine did not have that much in common other than FSU. At twenty-three years old, Elaine was more of a party girl who enjoyed the thrills of campus life more than Misty.

She had lots of friends and came from a family of wealth. Misty on the other hand was into her studies and did not party much. Unlike Elaine, Misty did not have a lot of friends, or a wealthy family background.

Misty’s only goal was to be successful and graduate from FSU with honors, just as she had in high school. Being able to help her family was her primary focus. She was an exceptionally attractive woman and had many male admirers, as well as a few women admirers.

Standing at five feet, five inches, Misty was blessed with an extremely curvy, and well-toned body that she kept in tip top shape. The one amenity that she did utilize often on campus was its state-of-the-art gym.

Misty was sought after by many, no matter where she went. Whether she liked it or not, she always seemed to have a group of admirers that watched her every move.

Her soft, ocean blue eyes accented her incredibly beautiful, tanned face, which was draped with long beautiful, stylish blond locks. She had the guys drooling. Unfortunately for them though, they- nor a relationship was what Misty was focusing on at the moment.

Regretfully, they would have to take the back seat for now. Misty however was open to having a friend, and Elaine was more than up for the position.

What Misty did not know was, although Elaine seemed to have everything, versus Misty’s life, which was less than desirable for the average, young, female college student. There was so much that Elaine was jealous of when it came to her and her simple life.

Misty would unfortunately find out the hard way that everyone was not as they seemed, and that her trusting ways would have her fighting the toughest fight of her life.

As the judge slammed down his gavel for the third time, Misty jumped like a scared child being scolded for doing something wrong. With tears sliding down her tired face, she looked back at her family and close friends who were sobbing uncontrollably and visibly angry at the system for getting this one wrong.

Reality hit her hard as the bailiff grabbed her forcibly by the arm and escorted her through the solid steel doors that led back to the ice-cold cell where she would live out her sentence.

With the trial now officially over, and her sentence now confirmed, Misty knew it was going to be a fight to survive in the harsh and cruel world of the penitentiary.

Not only would she have to fight to survive, but she was also going to have to fight to prove her innocence. As the doors of the cell slammed shut, Misty stood in the middle of the tiny room, looking at what her promising life had now become.

All her hard work down the drain, and what made it so hard to swallow was the fact that she was innocent. As the rambunctious women of the unit yelled, argued, and cursed each other out, Misty fell on her bed and sobbed like a small child that had lost its mother.

After a few minutes, Misty knew she could not let the women see her like this, she knew she could not appear weak in a place like this. This had been her home for the past year, but she held on to hope that she would be out soon.

Now, knowing the hope that she held onto was gone, she had to get herself together for an awfully long road ahead. She made a few friends on the inside, but she knew she could not trust them whole heartily.

She had already learned that lesson with Elaine. As she carefully laid her head against the dingy graffitied wall, Misty closed her eyes and thought back- trying desperately to figure out where she went wrong.

January 18TH, 2016

Chapter 2

Hi, welcome to FSU what can I help you with today? Misty asked as the tall, freckled face and slender brunette approached her table.

Building B, of the Devoe L. Moore University Center was filled with both current, and future, enthused and extremely interested students who wanted to get more involved on campus.

Many like Elaine Stevenson, were desperately trying to become a part of the student body at the elite university for the upcoming fall semester.

Hi, I was wondering if you had any information on the admissions process, and maybe some pamphlets on the courses that are offered here, Elaine said as she looked through some of the paperwork sprawled across the table.

"Sure thing! What is your interest, as far as study? FSU offers a bit of everything. We have a great campus atmosphere, and as you see, we have an exceptionally large student body," Misty said through a warming smile.

Although she did not participate much on campus, she was immensely proud of her school and everything it had to offer.

"Hmmm, well I definitely like to party! I guess that doesn’t count though huh?" Elaine laughed as she appeared to give serious thought as to what she would like to do long-term in her life.

"Well, I do like the arts… I’m sure mom and dad would not be too happy with that decision, but I have always been interested in animation, I love to draw." Elaine seemed to stand firm on her decision as she stood and looked intensely at Misty for a response.

As Misty looked at her, she would have never pegged her for the artsy type, but who was she to judge.

"Awesome! FSU does have a great Motion Picture Arts program that includes animation and digital arts, as well as motion picture arts production. Here you go, this should cover everything that you are looking for about the program," Misty said. Excitement filling her voice.

Keep in mind, fall registration begins April 29th until August 4th. Fall classes begin on August 29th, so you have a while to get prepared, but you still want to hurry up and get your application in, Misty continued as she handed Elaine the thick brochure.

"Misty! We’re having a party tonight over at the house you should come by and bring your friend!" The attractive guy added as he passed Misty’s table.

Who was that!? Elaine asked, obviously interested as she watched the very handsome jock walk away, disappearing through the thick crowd while speaking to just about everyone he passed.

"That is Brad Thompson, he is an extremely popular frat boy of one of the most prestigious fraternities in the nation, as well as here on campus, PI Kappa Alpha. Oh, and how could I forget, they are also known for having one of the biggest fraternity houses in the nation as well," Misty said as she turned to look at Elaine.

By the look on your face, you want to be the next Pike Dream Girl, Misty laughed as she thought about the number of women that throw themselves to the popular men of PI Kappa Alpha.

"Wait… Pike what?" Elaine asked, genuinely confused.

"They are sorority girls that the guys vote on who they feel best represents their fraternity. They have what is called, Pikes Illustrated, along with, Pike Boy magazines, that the lucky girl may be featured on if chosen. Also, if chosen as the Pike Girl for the month, the promiscuous lady is also given two hundred personal bodyguards to follow her around everywhere she goes, which too me is just ludicrous and unnecessary," Misty said with a bit of distain in her voice.

"We all know here on campus what the girls are really used for," Misty said as she gave a wink to Elaine, who could not believe her ears.

"Pike Illustrated, Pike Boy, I have heard it all. Not sure if I would be interested as being the house girl if you know what I mean, but I would not mind the party! What do you say, how about instead of just pushing brochures, you give me a one-on-one tour of the campus? And the first stop, the PI Kappa Alpha party!"

Elaine was super excited at just the thought alone, and she surely would not mind running into Brad again.

"I’m not sure, that crowd tends to get a bit to rowdy for me, plus I still have a lot of studying to do. Honestly, Elaine, I am not much of a party goer, especially the frat parties. Maybe another time," Misty explained, knowing there would not be another time if there had not been one by now.

Brad had been trying for years to get Misty to come to one of their parties and even though he could have any female on campus, everyone knew he had the biggest crush on Misty. He never gave up on trying to get with her since sophomore year even though every attempt went down in a flame of fire.

I will tell you what, let’s go and grab some coffee, things are beginning to wrap up here and I could use the pep me up, Misty said as she smiled at Elaine, who shook her head in agreement while still pleading to go to the party.

So, why the interest in FSU over all the other colleges and universities? Misty asked as the two settled into a booth at the nearby Starbucks.

"I always wanted to go to college straight after high school, but my grades were not the best, so I continued to work at my job, and well, time just got away from me," Elaine began to explain while placing her purse across the back of her chair.

I knew that I wanted to stay in Florida but wanted to also get away from my parents. What better university to attend than FSU right? Elaine continued as she sipped her ice coffee.

And where is home? Misty asked.

Clearwater, about four and a half hours away. Mom and dad feels like I should follow in their footsteps professionally, but I am just not interested in their fields. The money is great, but it is just not for me, Elaine fumed, seemingly becoming agitated as she spoke about her parents.

If you don’t mind my asking, what do they both do? Misty asked as she took a small bite of her piping hot Bacon Gouda sandwich.

My dad is a Cardiovascular Surgeon, he works at The Heart and Vascular Institute of Florida, which is a part of the Bay Care Health System. Mom is a dentist at Clearwater Dental Associates, Elaine answered dryly.

"I love my parents, they provided me with a great life, and they still do, but growing up with parents like that, everything was so strict. I could barely be a kid because they had so many expectations of me. When the other kids were outside playing, I was inside reading books, doing extra homework, stuck with the top tutors, getting ahead as they explained it," Elaine said with sadness in her voice.

"I thought I was going to go crazy! I was never allowed to go to parties, sleepovers, or anything that was normal kid or teenage stuff," Elaine continued. Her tone changing into hate as she seemed to drift off in her thoughts.

"When I, to their surprise did not get the grades in high school to attend the top universities, they were devastated. It was like they were living their life vicariously through me again. They never asked me what I wanted to do, but instead they told me what they wanted, and expected me to be, and do with my life," Elaine fumed.

I knew that I had to get away, so I decided to take some courses at St. Petersburg College a couple years after high school, not exactly what my parents were thinking, but they were proud that I took a step to further my education, she continued, her mood seeming to lighten.

"I did well and gained enough credits, and a high enough GPA to take a chance on hopefully being selected to enter FSU, so here I am," Elaine said as she stretched out her arms as a huge smile crossed her glossy lips while showing nearly all her perfect white teeth.

So, now that you know all about me, what is your story? Elaine asked.

"Well, my story is definitely different than yours," Misty laughed while adjusting in the small wooden chair.

As Misty listened to Elaine’s story, she wished that some of the details pertained to her life, especially the financial part. Misty had great parents that loved her and her two brothers very much, but life was not as easy for them as it had seemed to be for Elaine.

Sometimes, Misty would look at the prestigious students that came from very wealthy backgrounds and would think of how lucky some of them had it but took it for granted.

Brad was one of those students, his fraternity was full of rich and spoiled brats that did not appreciate what life had awarded them, which was one reason why Misty tried her best to avoid them- Brad especially. She just did not feel like they could possibly have anything in common.

All they seemed to do was party, show off, and have sex with as many girls as they possibly could, as if it were a game to them. They also got into lots of trouble, only to have their parents bail them out with nothing more than a slap on the wrist, whereas if it were any other student, they would face expulsion based on some of the stories Misty heard over the years.

"Well, I am from Tampa, I was actually a nerd all through school, as if you have not already probably guessed. I graduated from Plant High, with a 4.3 GPA, and was also Valedictorian of my class. I had no problems with getting into any university that I wanted, but unfortunately my family could not afford to send me."

As Misty spoke, a lump formed in her throat as she thought about how hard her parents took it when they broke the news that they could not afford to send her to college.

"My dad works as a factory supervisor, and my mom works retail. Even with both incomes they barely made ends meet with three kids. My parents somehow made a way to provide us with everything that we needed, but we never had the things that we always wanted growing up," Misty continued proudly.

They allowed us to make our own life choices and supported us no matter what. After graduation, my two older brothers worked to help support the family. Mom discouraged it, she wanted them to get the education that her and dad never got, she continued before taking another bite of her sandwich.

My brothers though, being as head strong as their father could not bear to see our parents work so hard and still struggle, so they sacrificed their education for the family, Misty explained further as Elaine sat in awe on the other end of the table.

I will be the first college graduate between my parents and my brothers, which is why this nursing degree is so important to me. I do not want their sacrifices to be in vain, Misty continued.

"Luckily, I was awarded four academic scholarships that would cover my tuition for my entire college career, the only catch is that I maintain a 3.5 GPA which has not been an issue, so I don’t want to mess up now, especially this close to graduating," Misty said as a smile crossed her thin lips.

After school, I will only have a small portion of student loans that I will have to repay that the scholarships will not cover. If it were not for the scholarships, I just do not know where I would be. As Misty spoke Elaine’s eyes seemed to widen as she was completely enthralled by the story.

"I always knew I wanted to be a nurse; I simply love taking care of people. FSU had one of the best programs, so for me it was a no brainer, and I also wanted to stay close to home for my parents, which is odd right? Most kids want to get