The Open Coffin: Prelude to Murder

CHAPTER 2

Villasis Police Detective Homer Almendares, son of former Municipal Engineer, and the late Zandro Almendares, had been in that position for almost five years now. He himself had become a legend in criminal investigation: he had cracked many difficult cases, most of them celebrated murder cases. Homer had the look of his father and the gentleness of his mother, Rachel Almendarez, now almost 90 years old. At the age of 60, he planned to retire from the service and eventually follow his wife Angelique in Canada. He and his wife settled in Villasis right after their marriage. Angelique Montero was the daughter of Judge Miguel Montero, Regional Trial Court judge of Villasis, Pangasinan. When their fifth child, Angeline, finished her college, Homer's wife and children migrated to Canada. Zandro Jr, his first born and only son died in a car accident during his 18th birthday. It was a tragic loss to Homer and Angelique. The Casimero murder case would probably the last case he would handle. Homer hoped that he could crack this case successfully. This would be his last hoorah.

Homer parked his car in front of Buencamino Law Firm. Without any hesitation, he walked toward the glass door and opened it. Attorney Buencamino's secretary Joan Casas greeted him.

"Good morning, Sir. What can I do for you?" she said.

"Morning Joan," he greeted back, "Is Attorney Buencamino here?"

"Yes, Sir, he's in his office right now," Joan replied.

"Is he busy? I want to talk to him."

"Let me check," Joan said, and she pressed the intercom. "Sir, Detective Almendares is here. He wants to see you."

For a couple of second, Glenn was silent. Then his voice came through the intercom, "Okay, send him in."

Joan smiled at Homer and said, "He will see you now, Sir. You can now get in his office."

"Okay. Thanks, Joan," Homer smiled back, then walked to Attorney Buencamino's inner office.

Glenn's office was well furnished and well ventilated. To the left wall were shelves stuffed with law books. Behind the lawyer's desk was a glass window.

"Ah, Detective Almendares, please come in. Have a sit," he offered the seat in front of his desk.

"Good morning, Sir. I hope I didn't disturb you," Homer said.

"Not at all," Glenn replied. "How's Madam?" he was referring to Rachel Almendarez, Homer's mother.

"Well, she's fine. She can still walk around without her cane," Homer said.

"That's good. Walking is a good exercise expecially for the elderly like Madam," the lawyer commented. Then there was a shift in the tone of his voice to one that this businesslike, "I presume that you did not come here as a client, Detective."

"Well," Homer said, "I think you already know what happened to Attorney Julian Casimero."

"Yes. It's all over the news," Glenn's face had the worried look.

"People think that you orchestrated his murder. Sorry to tell you this, but under the circumstances, you're the suspect. In the first place, you have all the motives to kill him, and that you are the only person who could be benefited by his death. Then there was the open coffin delivered to your doorstep, and you suspected Attorney Casimero as the one who sent it—with your picture in it," Homer explained, and while he did so, he was careful not to offend Glenn.

Glenn was quiet for awhile. He seemed to be thinking of the right words to say—as if he were being cross-examined by an opposing lawyer.

After a couple of seconds, he said, "Yeah, I understand. But all these assumptions are based on circumstantial evidence. You know that circumstantial evidences are weak evidences. True, Casimero maybe an asshole to me, and I really wanted to kick his ass, but I never planned of killing him. I'm not stupid to do that so as to ruin my political career. No, I am not a murderer, Detective." Glenn argued. He sounded like the lawyer delivering his closing argument.