The Path to Love: A Sonny Carisi Love Story

42: Tampered

"Thank you for coming in Ms. Marshall." I say as her and her attorney enter the interview room.

She clarifies "officer Marshall."

"Of course, I'm sorry. Thank you for coming in officer Marshall, why don't you have a seat." I suggest and all 4 of us sit down.

I open my notebook and Olivia asks the first question "It has come to our attention that you've recently had relations with one of your parolee's, is that correct?"

"Yes, I had sex with Tommy Sullivan earlier this week at his desire" She says back with a small grin.

"So you admit that you and Tommy Sullivan had a sexual encounter?" I clarify more this time.

She responds "again, initiated by Mr. Sullivan. I'm human. I had a moment of weakness. It was a mistake." She sort of shrugs, as if that would make it all go away.

"Not to mention illegal." Olivia reminds her.

Her attorney pipes in "there's no need to be didactic. Officer Marshall is here to cooperate."

"Okay, so what exactly happened in your office?" I ask her for details.

"Once we'd finished with our meeting, I walked Tommy to the door. And he said that he could tell that I had had a long day. And I looked at him and I nodded. And he asked if I wanted a massage." Olivia and I share a glance but continue listening. "And then he started working my shoulders. And then he started kissing me. And I told him it was not a good idea, but he was aggressive."

"Okay, well, did you say no or try to tell him to stop?" I ask, hoping she isn't going to say yes and call rape from him.

Her tone lowers when she responds "when I say no, people listen. He didn't rape me, Detective. And I certainly didn't rape him. He came on strong, and it didn't feel terrible. And I let myself enjoy the feeling."

"And by "it," you mean--" Olivia asks for specific.

"Oral sex and intercourse." She says it without hesitation. "I'm going on the fifth anniversary of my divorce, and it felt good to be wanted."

"And Tommy Sullivan made you feel wanted?" I question.

"In that moment, very much so, yes." She answers, having her story all sorted out.

"All right, I think we've humiliated Officer Marshall enough." Her lawyer tries to stop the interview. "She's facing interdepartmental discipline, but we are done here."

"Oh, well, we're just trying to get your client's side of the story." Olivia smiles at him.

"It's okay, counselor." Donna Marshall denies her lawyers request to end our interview.

"Okay, so you said that Tommy initiated the contact, made you feel wanted. Were you aware that he put in three requests this year to change parole officers?" Olivia asks her, wanting things to go deeper.

"Mm, that doesn't surprise me." She responds. "I'm the toughest one in my office." She puts a finger on the table like it's something we should've known already.

"Really? So, what would give him the impression that he could be intimate with you after you said that it was a bad idea?" Olivia asks her.

I sit back in my chair, waiting for her respond "parolees are manipulative. You know, they think they have the upper hand. That's the nature of the job."

"Wasn't the job to not allow them to have the upper hand?" I jump in and ask. She gives me a touche kind of smirk and I sit up to question "let me ask you, uh, was there— was there a gun in your office during this encounter?"