Albert crossed his arms in front of him. “It means do away with.”
“She wants to do away with Farcus?” Adelaide felt her own eyes grow wide. “As in kill him?”
He frowned. “It does sound very extreme, but it’s not impossible.”
“Who is Steffen?” she asked.
“The queen has a brother-in-law named Steffen,” Anton explained. “He is her deceased husband’s brother. She’s always been quite close to him.”
Albert pointed to Adelaide. “You also said she mentioned your name.”
“Yes,” Adelaide checked the notes on her phone. “She used another word I’m not familiar with, but I tried to write it down phonetically.” She attempted to pronounce it.
“Beseitigen?” Anton repeated.
“Yes. That sounds right,” she confirmed. “What does it mean?”
“It’s similar to losschlagen. It means eliminate. To remove something.”
“Like me?”
“You’re certain she said these things?” Albert asked, his eyes locked on hers. “That you heard her right, Adelaide? Are you sure?”
“Yes. I heard her use Farcus’s name several times in that vexed sort of urgent tone. My name only came up at the end of the conversation.” Adelaide didn’t admit that the way the queen said her name sounded like she’d tasted poison. “She didn’t sound quite so urgent, but she was intense.”
“She wants to ensure the crown for Prince Georg,” Anton told Albert. “That has to be the motivation.”
Albert nodded, his eyes downcast. “So it seems.”
“So she’s gotten Farcus out of her way. And Steffen is involved somehow.”
“The good news is that Farcus must still be alive, but it sounds like the queen wants him gone permanently.” Albert faced Adelaide, his brow creased. “And perhaps you as well.”
She simply nodded, trying to absorb what felt like a weird old movie plot as Anton grasped her hand and turned to his uncle. “Is Adelaide safe in the palace?”
“Possibly not.” Albert was already dialing something on his phone.
Adelaide blinked. “Really? Do you honestly think the queen would go to such extremes? What if she were found out?”
“Queen Johanna is a very driven woman. We’ve suspected for some time she is romantically involved with Steffen,” Albert said. “And like Farcus, Steffen has been missing for a couple of months now.”
“Which no longer seems coincidental.” Anton’s brow furrowed with concern.
“What about Prince Farcus? Will he be safe?” Adelaide’s stomach was tying into knots.
“We need to take Queen Johanna in for questioning,” Albert said solemnly.
“And examine her cell phone records,” Anton added.
“What about Georg?” Albert turned to Adelaide. “Did you hear his name mentioned in that conversation?”
She shook her head.
“I will call the chief of police right now,” Albert told Anton as he stood. “You stay here with Adelaide. Don’t let her out of your sight.”
Anton nodded, still holding on to Adelaide’s hand. She offered him a grateful smile, but everything about this felt so surreal. At the other end of the room, Albert talked into his phone.
“We must be very clandestine,” Albert said, instructing someone to send the police chief to the palace immediately. “Send a couple of plainclothes officers with him. And no sirens.” He told them where to meet, then hung up. “You two stay in here with the door locked. Don’t talk to anyone. I will attempt to locate the queen and her son without tipping them off. Then I’ll talk to the chief.”
