Read Online Bubble in the Bathtub by Jo Nesbø - Free Book Online Page A

they were what was making those sounds, the walls were alive!
    As she stood there, frozen with fear, the cellar door slid open. Silhouetted against the daylight outside, she saw the shape of the woman who had been standing on the other side of the street.
    â€œHi, Lisa,” the woman said, shutting the door behind herself and flipping a switch. The light came on. Lisa looked around and mostly felt like fainting.
    â€œWhy so pale?” the woman asked, coming toward Lisa. “Is it all these giant snails on the walls? They’re not dangerous, they just breed them down here. Once they get big enough, they serve them for dinner in the restaurant upstairs. Snails are a delicacy in this country.”
    â€œThey are?” was all Lisa managed to say, because the woman was so close to her now that Lisa could see her face. And it was definitely a face she recognized.
    â€œWell, Lisa,” the woman said. “Maybe you’re wondering what these snails live on down here?”
    â€œUh, what?” Lisa asked, feeling her teeth chattering in her mouth.
    The woman laughed. “Grass. And lettuce. Things like that. Why, what did you think?”
    Lisa exhaled in relief.
    â€œI’m—” the woman began.
    â€œI know who you are,” Lisa said.
    â€œOh?” the woman asked, clearly surprised.
    â€œYes, I’ve seen pictures of you. At Doctor Proctor’s house. You guys were on a motorcycle with a sidecar. You’re the professor’s old girlfriend. You’re Juliette Margarine.”
    The woman in front of her gave her a big smile. “Impressive. And you recognized me again right away?”
    Lisa smiled. “No, at first I thought you were Joan of Arc.”
    â€œJoan of Arc?” the woman asked, surprised. “The saint?”
    Lisa laughed. “There’s a picture in our history book at school of Joan of Arc being burned at the stake and I think you look like her.”
    â€œThanks for the vote of confidence, Lisa,” the woman said in her slightly broken Norwegian, picking up a lock of her long, auburn hair. “We may have the same color hair, but unfortunately I’m not a brave heroine, just Juliette Margarine. Which is actually pronounced
Jü-lee-ETT Maar-gaar-EEN
in French.”
    â€œJü-lee-ETT Maar-gaar-EEN,”
Lisa repeated. “But how did you know my name was Lisa?”
    â€œVictor told me about you and Nilly,” Juliette said.
    â€œVictor?”
    â€œDoctor Proctor.”
    â€œDoctor Victor Proctor?” Lisa had never thought about the fact that Doctor Proctor must have a first name just like everybody else.
    Juliette smiled. “Besides, I was the one who forwarded his postcard to you guys. Since then I’ve been keeping my eye on the hotel and waiting for you to show up. You have no idea how happy I was when I finally saw you walk out this morning. ‘They’re finally here!’ I thought.”
    â€œBut … but why didn’t you just come into the hotel? Why were you sneaking around after me? And where’s Doctor Proctor? And why is everything so secretive?”
    â€œCliché,” Juliette said.
    â€œHuh?”
    Juliette sighed. “The answer to most of your questions is Cliché, Claude Cliché, a very bad man, unfortunately. But that’s a long story and you look very hungry. Why don’t we find a café where we can have a croissant and a café au lait?”
    â€œThat sounds great,” Lisa said, and then looked around once more and shuddered. Because even if theyweren’t dangerous, it was pretty unpleasant to be in a room with giant snails covering the walls.
    â€œBut,” said Juliette, opening the door, sticking her head out and peering cautiously to the right and left, “we should go somewhere where we won’t be seen….”

Juliette Margarine’s Remarkable Story
    JULIETTE MARGARINE AND Lisa found a quaint sidewalk café on a