Gaining the man’s confidence to get into his room had been easy. The cardinal now had plenty of time to regret his mistake. His error was slowly being spelled out in painful letters as Karosky made each new cut into the cardinal’s exposed chest. ‘Calm down, Your Eminence. It’s not much longer now.’ The victim fought back but his strength was waning. The blood, which had soaked the bedspread and was falling in thick drops on to the Persian rug, carried his strength away with it. Yet he didn’t lose consciousness for a second. He felt every blow Karosky dealt him, every cut of the blade. Karosky finished his handiwork on the cardinal’s chest and proudly contemplated what he had written. He held the camera with a firm grip and captured the moment: after all, he couldn’t leave without a memento. Sadly, he couldn’t use a digital video camera here, but this disposable camera served his purpose admirably. He mocked Cardinal Cardoso as he wound the film on with his thumb.
