Bubble in the Bathtub by Jo Nesbø Read Free Book Online

shower. Or, for example, in a bathtub. Right?”
    â€œB-b-bathtub?” Nilly said, wondering where his sudden stutter had come from.
    â€œI’m sure you catch my drift, don’t you?” Raspa asked, winking knowingly.
    â€œN-n-no,” Nilly said. Jeez, was this stutter here to stay?
    The woman suddenly stood back up and snatched the watches back in irritation. “As a matter of fact, I should give you something more valuable than this. A piece of travel advice.” Raspa’s hoarse whisper filled the shop: “Remember that death—and only death—can change history.”
    â€œOnly d-d-death?”
    â€œExactly. History is carved in stone, and only if you are willing to die can you change what is written. Goodbye then, children.” Raspa turned round and, on that squeaking, shrieking roller skate, she coasted through the shop like a haunted ship and disappeared behind the orange curtain.
    â€œG-g-g …,” Nilly tried.
    â€œGood-bye,” Lisa said, and pulled Nilly out the door behind her.

To Paris
    LISA AND NILLY walked straight from the Trench Coat Clock Shop to Town Hall Square, where they caught the express bus to the airport. An hour later, they climbed off in front of Oslo International Airport and walked into the gigantic departures hall, which was swarming with people. They got in line at theAir France ticket counter. While they were standing there, Lisa thought she heard a familiar sound through the murmur of voices, scuffle of shoes, and the announcements coming over the loudspeakers. The squeaking noise of ungreased wheels. She whirled around but all she saw was a sea of unfamiliar faces and people hurrying on their way. She sniffed the air for the odor of rotten meat and stinky socks, but didn’t detect it. It was probably the wheels of one of those wheeled suitcases, Lisa thought. And jumped when she suddenly felt a hard finger poke her in the small of her back. She spun around. It was Nilly.
    â€œGo, go! It’s our turn,” he said.
    They walked over to an unbelievably beautiful woman with unbelievably tan skin and unbelievably white hair.
    â€œWhat can I help you with, ma’am?” she asked.
    â€œTwo tickets to Paris, please,” Lisa said.
    â€œFor you and who else?”
    An irritated response came from below the edge of the ticket counter. “Me, obviously!”
    The woman stood up and peered over the counter. “Ah, right. That’ll be six hundred dollars.”
    Lisa set the money on the counter. The woman counted the twenty-dollar bills first, but then stopped and raised her eyebrows when she saw the two hundreds. “Is this supposed to be a joke?” she asked.
    â€œA joke?” Lisa said.
    â€œYes. These hundreds are no longer legal tender. They’re from …” She looked at them more closely. “From 1905. They should have been taken out of circulation ages ago. Don’t you have any other bills from
this
century?”
    Lisa shook her head.
    â€œSorry, I can only give you one ticket to Paris.”
    â€œBut …,” Lisa began in desperation. “But …”
    â€œThat’s fine,” said the voice from under the edge of the counter. “Give us one ticket.”
    Lisa glanced down at Nilly who was nodding at her encouragingly.
    When she looked up again, the woman already had the ticket ready and was holding it out to her. “
Bon voyage.
Have a good trip to Paris. I assume there are some grown-ups there who will be meeting you.”
    â€œSo do I.” Lisa sighed and nodded, eyeing the ticket and Raspa’s old hundred-dollar bills.
    â€œWhat do we do now?” Lisa asked anxiously as she and Nilly walked toward the security checkpoint.
    â€œRelax,” Nilly said. “I have an idea.”
    â€œYou do? What’s your idea?”
    â€œFor you to go alone,” Nilly said.
    Lisa stared at him, shocked. “A-a-alone?”
    There.