Chapter 3 - THE ROOM UNDER THE TABLE By sunrise, the game room was surrounded by forensic specialists.
Jackson had deliberately brought in an outside team.
Claire Morgan, his attorney, had insisted.
"You have too many relatives on payroll."
"They're professionals."
"They're Bellandis first."
Jackson didn't like hearing it.
He authorized the investigation anyway.
The broken glass table was photographed piece by piece.
Then investigators turned their attention to the poker table.
One technician noticed something unusual beneath the frame.
A narrow steel case had been attached underneath it.
Jackson had never seen it.
Neither had Owen.
Inside were three objects.
$186,000 in cash.
A prepaid phone.
And a black ledger.
Jackson stared at the ledger.
Its pages were filled with dates, names, dollar amounts, poker games, wagers and settlements.
Several entries carried his initials.
J.B.
Claire looked at him.
"Are these yours?"
"No."
"Any of them?"
"No."
She closed the ledger.
"Good."
Jackson looked toward the broken game room.
"If this is fake, someone went to a lot of trouble."
Claire nodded.
"And if it's real?"
Jackson didn't answer.
Because the problem wasn't only what the ledger contained.
It was where someone had hidden it.
Under his poker table.
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Inside his house.
In the exact room where his son had been attacked.
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