The Open Coffin: Prelude to Murder

CHAPTER 11

                While Homer was having his lunch at a nearby restaurant in Villasis, Victor Camba was on his way to Manaoag. He had successfully obtained the "camera" from Lajuvic's caretaker named A" from Lajuvic's caretaker named Arthur Limos. The gun indeed looked like a camera used by news reporters. Its compartment contained 5 bullets instead of the usual memory card. It was equipped with a safety button just in case the button-like trigger was accidentally pressed. Aside from this, the gun was also fitted with a state-of-the art silencer so that when the trigger was pressed, one could only hear a camera click. The bullet would travel in a lightning speed so that it was hardly noticeable.

Victor smiled at the thought of shooting Buencamino while he was raising both hands triumphantly after his oath-taking ceremony.

"It would be a hell of celebration for you Glenn Buencamino!" a devilish smile appeared on Victor's bearded face.

He arrived in Manaoag Hotel at about two in the afternoon of April 26, 2082. He found Vincent sipping a bottle of Red Horse beer.

"How's the trip, brother?" he asked to Victor who sat down beside him. Victor took out from his clutch bag the camera-looking gun and handed it to Vincent.

"Here's your toy," he said.

"Cute but deadly, eh?" Vincent commented as he examined the peculiar gun.

"Wanna try it? It's loaded," Victor said.

"Did you try it?" he asked instead.

"Yeah, I did. Of course in a farm in Amandiego."

"And?"

"Well, it's fucking perfect, man!" Victor grinned.

"Your target?"

"A fucking astray dog!" Victor laughed.

Vincent just nodded his head and sipped his Red Horse beer.

"By the way," Victor put the gun back into the clutch bag, "have you already sent money to Drigo's widow?"

"Yeah. Sent it through Leonard," was Vincent's reply.

"And?"

"Leonard hasn't called yet. But I'm expecting his call any minute from now," Vincent said and took a sip once more from his bottle of Red Horse beer.

"Why don't you call him now?" Victor stood and walked toward the refrigerator, opened it and took a bottle of San Miguel Light. He returned to his seat and opened the bottle.

"Okay," Vincent said and picked up his phone that lay on the center table. He was about to dial Leonard's number when his phone rang. It was a video call from Leonard Regidor.

"You see? It's Leonard," Vincent looked at Victor, then he answered the phone, "Hey, Leonard. What's your report?"

Leonard's voice came through, "I've given the money to Merly. Told her it's financial assistance from a distant cousin of Drigo."

"Good work, Leonard. Anything else?"

"Boss, two Dagupan cops and two men in civilian came," Leonard reported.

"What! Did they talk to you?" Vincent's voice sounded alarmed.

"No, Boss. They just walked by as I left," Leonard said.

"Did you recognize those two when in civilian clothes?" Vincent asked.

"No, Boss, but it looked like they were cops too."

"Shit! This is not good! Okay Leonard. Stay at home and don't go out of your goddamned house. Got it?"

"Yes, Boss."

Vincent hanged up and stared at Victor. Since it was a video call, he heard everything what Leonard reported.

Victor said, "Son of a bitch! I have the gut feeling that one of them was Detective Almendares. Damned it!"

"That son of a bitch. How the hell did he come to know Merly?" Vincent said.

"That asshole has the nose of a wolf. I guess he has some sources. Shit!"

"What are we gonna do now, brother?" asked Vincent, then he continued, "the cops might be hot on his ass."

"I think we should take him to a safe place, where the cops can't find him," Victor said.

"Any idea where?"

"How about here?" Victor suggested.

"Ok, but what about Merly? I'm afraid she had talked too much."

"Well, what could she tell to those cops? All she knew was that Drigo was leading an honest life." Victor reasoned out/

"Brother, you're not thinking deep enough. What if those cops inquired about Leonard—the man they saw talking to Merly?" Vincent said.

"Come on, don't be so paranoid. Merly would just say he was a co-worker of Drigo. Anyway, that's what she knows. She doesn't know where her live-in partner gets the money. All she knew was that her live-in partner was fucking legit."

"But what if Almendares—if indeed he was one of the men—would make a check on the every information that Merly spat out?"

"Alright," said Victor, "we're gonna relocate her too. Let's say there's a threat on her life; that Drigo was actually a drug pusher, and that the money given to her was actually the money of the syndicate whom Drigo was working for. Let's say that Leonard was in cahoots with him when they ran away with the drug lord's money."

"Do you think she will buy that?"

"She should, brother," Victor grinned.

"Okay. Do what you think is best," Vincent finally acceded.

"Now, we'll send Rodrigo to fetch Leonard. Then we'll send him to Merly after he safely deliver Leonard here," Victor said.

Rodrigo Valdez was one of their runners, other than Leonard. He was also from Calasiao. He was still a bachelor despite his age of 46.

Vincent thought for a moment. There was doubt painted on his face, "Do you think she will trust Rodrigo? Remember that Merly met him just once."

"Okay, you're right. I overlooked that. Since she has known Leonard ever since she started cohabiting with Drigo, this is what we're going to do. Rodrigo will fetch Leonard first, then they will pick up Merly. Leonard will be the one to tell her the imaginary threat. Rodrigo will just play the role of a driver. I think, and I'm sure, Merly will trust him," Victor explained his point.

Vincent nodded his head and said, "Well, let's do it then