Fruitless (An Esther May Morrow Mystery) by Robert Appleton
http://www.eternalpress.ca/esthermaymorrowsfruitless.htm
Contemporary Fantasy, 20,755 words
$4.50 US .pdf
ebook: 978-1-926647-48-7
print: 978-1-926647-56-2

Summary:

Your glass fruit bowl from Esther May Morrow's gift shop shall be filled nightly with the following ingredients money, diamonds, anything you could possibly dream of! There is no three wish limit. No one else knows your secret. As long as it fits inside the bowl, nothing is beyond your grasp. What would you wish for?

For down-on-his-luck salesman Nick Bergman, a heartfelt gift bought with his final ten pounds opens an astonishing magical route to fortune. His girlfriend Geri advises caution, but Nick fears the magic might only be temporary. It's time to be creative. Physical riches soon give way to ambitious plans for the future when he realizes the awesome implications of limitless wealth. The world beckons. But will he ever know when enough is enough?

Excerpt:

Dan looked at his watch. "Ten to five. Nick, you haven't been up at all, have you?"

"No. Why?" Nick's mouth fell open as his brother set a wad of notes in front of his face on the settee cushion.

"That's why!" Dan replied, breathing hard. "I just found that in your fruit bowl."

Now trembling all over, Nick swallowed as he flicked through the wad. It was full of pristine fifty pound notes. The label read '£10,000'.

"I is this some kind of trick?" His wordss slurred, and he suddenly went dizzy.

"I'm telling you, this was in the bowl. Did you picture it before you fell asleep? Did you?"

"Yeah, but "

Dan drew his hands up behind his head. "Holy shit," he whispered. "Do you know what this means? Nick!"

The room wheeled as Nick sat up. By some unseen centrifuge, the silk of his brain spooled to one side. He threw up on the carpet. When his brother returned with a washing-up bowl and a glass of water, Nick closed his eyes and, pressing his hands to his forehead, said, "We don't know how long this thing's gonna last. We need to take advantage before it goes. I we need to do it again quick!"

"What have you got in mind?"

"More sleeping pills."

"I think you need a rest, bro. You're not well enough for that."

"Do you want to lose this opportunity?"

"Well, no "

"Then hand me those pills," Nick insisted, holding out his hand. "It's either now or never. This is cosmological. I'm not missing this." ( )