So Let It Be Written: When My Mystery Got Real

By Kate CollinsTwelve books ago, I had just finished writing MUM'S THE WORDand was seeking a plot for the second book in the Flower Shop Mystery series. Ihad a title, SLAY IT WITH FLOWERS, and a general idea, but needed a big plottwist to make it all happen. In comes my hairdresser and her colleagues, who, while I washaving my hair cut, complained about the men using their parking lot or that ofthe Auto Zone across the street to get to the business next door. The sign outfront of this business said: KING'S SPA, with the word MASSAGES, and a telephonenumber underneath. There was no other advertising, and the building, an old whitewooden house, had butcher paper covering the windows. Suspicious, you say? Oh,it gets better. The hairdressers' lament had prompted one of their clientsto go next door to make an appointment. She was told by an unfriendly Chinesereceptionist that women were not welcome. At a massage parlor? Really? Then there were the masseuses, a group of Chinese women intight silk dresses, who would come to the salon to buy hair products. They didn'tspeak. They would point to a product and toss money onto the counter from athick wad they carried in their, well, you know.Being a crusader for justice through my character AbbyKnight, I suggested ways to stop the men from using the salon's parking lot.Snap their photos and license plates and hang them in the big front windows.Call the Chief of Police. Write letters to the Mayor.  I even volunteered to stand across the streetwith a camera.And then a lightbulb went off. I had my plot twist! CouldAbby NOT get involved if such a thing were happening in her hometown? My mantrabecame: What Would Abby Do?  A month after SLAY IT WITH FLOWERS was released, (six months after my hairdresser had complained) the police raidedthe King's Spa, (which I called EMPEROR'S SPA in my book) rounding up a groupthat was part of a Chinese prostitution ring working out of Chicago.  Naturally, I had to boast that my story hadhelped bring light to the situation (whether it really did is something I'llalways wonder).
Fast forward to now. In the newspaper, I read of anotherso-called massage parlor in a neighboring city that was similarly raided withthe same results. Thinking back to my experience, I wondered how long it took people to realize what was actuallygoing on and notify the authorities. What would you have done if you'd discovered such asituation in your hometown? Pretend it didn't exist or try to do somethingabout it? In other words, are you an Abby Knight?