The Open Coffin: Prelude to Murder

CHAPTER 5

Victor and Vincent Camba watched on TV the midday news. He and Vincent were staying in Manaoag Hotel. Vincent thought it best that they should keep a safe distance from Alcala, or Villasis so as to avoid detection by the police especially Police Detective Homer Almendares. Vincent was aware of the ability of the wily Villasis Police Detective to track down criminals.

Victor smiled wickedly as Glenn Buencamino was flashed on the screen. Apparently, Glenn was being interviewed right in his home by Vivian Lamar, the news reporter of TV 12, Pangasinan.

Glenn was quoted as saying, "I want to clear my name. I did not orchestrate the killing of Julian Casimero. I'm not stupid enough to do such as thing, knowing that it would ruin my career. I believe that some evil forces are out there to destroy us."

"Yeah, I believe you, Attorney," once again Victor grinned, "we killed Casimero, and you'll be the next."

Then he pulled his 45 from its holster on his hips, cocked it, and pointed at Glenn.

"Boom, you're a dead meat!" he hissed, then laughed aloud.

"I'm sure that Buencamino will be elected congressman since Casimero is now history. I think we should drop him on the day of his oath-taking for all the world to see," Vincent said.

"Yeah, you're right, brother. Imagine the headline: NEWLY ELECTED CONGRESSMAN BUENCAMINO SHOT DEAD." Victor grinned as he raised his arms as if he were holding an invicible newspaper.

"Then Benjie would be vindicated!" Vincent said.

Victor rested his back on the backrest of the couch, closed his eyes, and recalled the events that led them (he and Vincent) to the gun-running business.

A few months after the conviction of Benjamin, Victor and Vincent thought of finding a job, one that earned big money in order to raise fund needed for avenging the incarceration of their younger brother. Victor and Vincent were convinced that Buencamino and Casimero intentionally lost their case in consideration of big amount of money. They believed that the Climacos bribed them.

Luck smiled at them, when a former college classmate of Victor named Zaldy Ignacio told Victor that Philippine Pharmaceutical was in need of salesmen. The salary was high, that was what he said. He further told them that he can recommend them to the owner of the company, a man named Drazen Lajuvic.

"Just say yes, and I will forward your name directly to Mr. Lajuvic's office," he said.

It was a tempting offer, so without hesitation, Victor and Vincent answered yes. After a couple of days, both brothers got a text message asking them to report at the indicated address of the building somewhere in Palamis, Alaminos City. Excited with their luck, Victor and Vincent travelled to west to Alaminos. They easily located the building. It was a four-storey building. Across its façade was the name Ventura Building. It occupied the space where an old theater once stood. As soon as they got into the building, they were greeted by a pretty receptionist.

"We are applicants, and we're here for the interview," Victor said to the receptionist.

The receptionist asked for their names and checked them in the computer. Then she looked up at them and told them that Mr. Lajuvic was expecting them. The receptionist showed them Mr. Lajuvics office.

Once inside the well-furnished office, a fat balding man met them jovially. He introduced himself as Drazen Lajuvic. Lajuvic was actually a Serbian national whose family settled in the Philippines when he was a young boy. When he was thirty years old, he applied for Philippine citizenship, and was later on naturalized. He was more or less 50 years old, Victor recalled.