The Open Coffin: Prelude to Murder

CHAPTER 31

                Once the sports complex was filled to the capacity, Major Obrero ordered the closure of all the
entrances. The idea was that in case the assassination attempt succeeded, the killer would be denied of any exit point, unless he vanished in thin air, which was impossible. This set up was the brainchild of Police Detective Homer Almendares. Vincent was not aware of this beforehand.

While Glenn was delivering his campaign speech, Homer ordered all the police on the beat to stay alert—observing the behavior of the crowd and even the movements of the mediamen.

Now, when the three candidates were in front of the audience and of the media, the news reporters got ready with their cameras. This was the moment Vincent was waiting for.

"Now is the time," Vincent said as he rose from his seat. He readied his camera-looking gun for the fatal shot.

He aimed the gun at Glenn Buencamino, and holding his breath, he pressed the trigger. As he pressed the trigger, Vice Governor stepped in front of Glenn to shake hands with him. There was a whizzing sound and a bullet pierced Vice Governor Calderon's back of the head. The bullet killed him instantly. As the Vice Governor crumpled on stage, Buencamino's and Mendoza's security men immediately swarmed over them, completely covering them. Pandemonium broke out in the complex. But the people could not go out because all exit points were closed by the police. Major Obrero rushed to the stage and bent over the body of Vice Governor Calderon. He felt his pulse, and feeling no beat, he shook his head.

"He's dead," he said. Then he barked an order to the cops near him, "Get an ambulance!"

Still surrounded by their security men, Glenn and Governor Mendoza were escorted to their respective cars. As soon as Glenn was safely tucked in his bullet-proofed car, his driver revved the car and sped it to Alcala. A train of cars loaded with Glenn's bodyguards trailed his car. Stunned by the incident, Glenn was speechless for a couple of minutes. At last, he exclaimed, "Jesus Christ, that shot was intended for me! The bastard killed the Vice Governor instead!"

"You're still lucky Sir," one of his aides said.

Glenn just held his peace. He simpley shook his head with much grief because of the untimely death of Vice Governor Calderon.

Now when the people inside the complex saw that the main entrance was open, they started to pour out. Many of them were stunned by what had just happened.

Meanwhile Homer realized that the shot came from the area of the mediamen. He therefore ordered the newsmen to stay where the were while the police would bodily searched each of the reporters. Vincent took advantage of the commotion. He casually walked toward the men's restroom to hide there until the commotion subsided. The restroom had a window through which he could escape.

At this juncture, Homer noticed a male reporter about to open the men's restroom. He pulled his gun and point it at the reporter, "Freeze! Stop right there!"

Vincent froze when he saw Homer and two cops approaching him. But he managed to regain his composure and said, "I'm going to use the restroom. Please wait."

"Don't move!" Homer ordered.

Immediately Homer and the two cops frisked him but found no gun, or any weapon. Homer looked closely at Vincent. He brought out Vincent's photo from his vest pocket and compared it with the face of the reporter he had just apprehended. Homer's eyes widened when he realized that the bemoustached reporter was actually Vincent Camba.

Homer's attention was suddenly riveted to the camera. He called one of the cops nearby, "Keep an eye on him."

Then, he yankedthe camera from Vincent's neck and examined it. When he opened the compartment which was actually the chamber of the gun, he saw three bullets in it. He closed the compartment, aimed the gun to the ceiling and pressed the trigger. He heard a whizzing sound as the bullet pierced the ceiling of the complex.