I met with Mr. Thompson’s recommended attorney, a practical woman named Elaine Foster who specialized in nonprofit incorporation and had the demeanor of someone who had long ago stopped being surprised by what good people sometimes had to do outside proper systems when proper systems failed them.
“You can make this legal,” she told me. “But it won’t be easy, and it won’t stay hidden.”
It should not stay hidden, I thought. George’s secrecy had protected these women until it didn’t.
So I sold the apartment in Millbrook. I used part of the savings George left me and most of the proceeds from the sale to begin the conversion of the farm into something durable enough to survive scrutiny. The larger barn became the first major project. We had contractors build out four studio apartments with small kitchenettes and private baths. We reinforced windows. Installed proper exterior lighting. Added security cameras, motion sensors, a coded front gate, smoke systems, panic buttons, and a dedicated locked records room.