Three Wishes by Juli Alexander Read Free Book Online

how few teeth it looked like he had, women always responded like, well,” he glanced at the waitresses, “this.”
    “If you flip your hair and say ‘Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful,’ I’m out of here.”
    Leo let out a way too dramatic, long-suffering sigh. “Can we talk about something else?”
    “Okay. Fine. If I can get the names of the senior staffers and your father doesn’t recognize any of them, what are you going to do?”
    “I’ll have the PI check for anybody who raises red flags. Gambling debts, drug problems, whatever.”
    “I don’t understand. Isn’t it a violation to reveal the U.N.I.V.E.R.S.E. to a PI?”
    “Veronica’s a former staffer. She remarried and joined her husband, a PI. She already knows, so I’m not violating anything.”
    “If she was a staffer, doesn’t she have the names?”
    He shook his head as he finished off another chip. “She knows some, but she’s been out for seven years. Things may have changed.”
    “Why do you think it’s a staffer? Because of the Summit, or because they have access?”
    “Both. Money can be a powerful motivator.”
    “Then you’re thinking that they were paid to set up your dad.”
    “Maybe.”
    “Then it could be anybody. How would you figure it out?”
    “I’d get the staffer to talk.”
    Oh, sure. That wouldn’t be a problem. “You think they’ll just tell you the truth?”
    “I’ll do what I have to do.” He studied me for a minute. “Jen, I probably shouldn’t tell you this part, but you need to understand that the U.N.I.V.E.R.S.E. or one of the employees probably is involved. The PI asked Dad all kinds of questions about the events of the week before the thefts. The only thing he remembered was a feeling that he was being watched.”
    “We’re always being watched,” I said with a shrug.
    “This is different. The PI got surveillance photos from cameras around town. Places Dad went during that time. A black Lexus crossover was following him. We saw it in over half of the videos.” He pulled up some photos and showed me the laptop. A blurry crossover was in every shot. “The plates from the Lexus froze the PI’s computer.”
    “So they really are connected to the U.N.I.V.E.R.S.E.”
    “Yes. Maybe Dad’s enemies. Maybe not.”
    “How many enemies does your father have?”
    Leo opened a file and hit page down to show page after page of names and pictures.
    Oh my God. He must have had some wild days. “Does he have any friends at all?”
    “Katie. His fiancée. The others have turned on him since the imprisonment. They were all willing to believe the worst.”
    “And Katie isn’t a genie?”
    He shook his head. “She’s a nutrition professor at Emory.”
    “Does she know about him?”
    “Only since he proposed.”
    “Does she believe it?”
    He shoved his hand through his hair. “She does now.”
    The woman would be magically prevented from telling anyone about genies. She probably didn’t believe it at all. “How long have they been dating?”
    “Five years,” he answered. “Dad really cares about her. I think he would have married her already if it weren’t for the genie thing.” Leo took a sip of his coke. “She’s a vegetarian. My dad is like the original carnivore. He practically lived on burgers and steak. But he gave up meat for her.” Leo met my eyes. “He doesn’t even cheat when she’s not around. He seriously gave it up.”
    I couldn’t imagine what it would be like watching a parent date. Just about everyone I knew had divorced parents, but mine seemed happy together. Thank goodness. “Do you like her?”
    “She’s great.” His features relaxed as he talked. “Dad never dated anyone close to his own age before. Except my mother.”
    I didn’t ask, but he answered anyway.
    “The Oversight Committee paid her off when I was born. She never looked back.”
    Illegitimate children were a huge problem in the genie world. Non-genies raising those powerful children could