I turned my head slowly. My voice was hollow with disbelief. "Maria?"
The director nodded and sighed. "The woman who dropped her off told us her mother was a bar girl who never turned anyone away. She gave birth to this child with no known father, then caught a disease and died. That's why the child was named Maria Nessuno. The woman also left specific instructions..."
She paused, her voice dropping. "She told us the girl's life was worthless. No need to feed her properly or keep her warm. No need to treat her if she got sick. And if she died, it would be her own fault."
"What was the woman's name?"
"That I'm not sure of, but the man who came with her, a Mr. Ferraro, called her something like 'Sera.' Mr. Ferraro personally oversaw all the paperwork."
I stood rooted to the spot. My skull hummed. My stomach seized.