- What is your name? Do you have a nickname?
Sheriff Nathaniel Benjamin Barnes, but my friends call me Nate. The officers in my station call me Sheriff.
- Who is your best friend? What kinds of things do you do when you’re together?
That would have to be Miles Keaton. We grew up together, went to school together all the way through college. Lately, we haven’t done much since he lives in Denver, but he’s apparently moving back to our stomping grounds here in Echo Springs. It will be good to have him back in town.
- If you have a family, how do you get along with them? If you don’t, are there people in your life that you consider family? How do you get along with them?
The only family I have left is my sister, Beth. She lives out in Los Angeles. We’re close and call each other as often as we can.
- Do you have a birthmark? Scars? Where is it/are they? How did you get it/them?
I have a scar from a traffic stop gone wrong. The suspect had a knife on him that I failed to see until he stabbed me with it. A few inches over and it would have severed an artery. I got lucky that day.
- When you’re angry, what do you do? Where do you go? How do you deal with your anger?
It tends to be a toss up between getting hammered or taking it out on the punching bag in the home gym I have in the basement. My job requires me to stay physically fit and being Colorado, you never know what the weather will be like from one day to the next which is why I have the home gym. But in a coin toss, I most often choose to work it out in my gym as I don’t have time for a hangover.
- If you had to make me a meal right now, without going to the store, what would you find in your refrigerator to feed us?
Probably some left over pizza from Papa Beau’s in town, stale bread, maybe some eggs, and beer. I tend to live at the station and it’s easier to get my meals from the local eateries in town. The Emporium has the best breakfast sandwich on the planet and their burgers are mouthwateringly awesome.
- What’s the one thing you’re afraid of losing?
My humanity and willingness to see the good in people. It’s easier here in our little Podunk town of Echo Springs than it would have been if I had stayed with the Denver PD. When you work in law enforcement, you get to see the worst of humanity every damn day.
- What makes you laugh out loud?
Stupid criminals. There are more of them than you realize. And my dog, Rufus, he thinks he’s a lap dog and has the physical dexterity of an elephant on roller skates. At his last vet visit, the knucklehead weighed in at one hundred fifty pounds, which is typical for a Great Dane.
- Has anyone broken your heart? Who was s/he?
Her name was Stacy. We met in college. After we graduated, we tried to make it work out in the real world. But she decided she didn’t want to be a cop’s wife. It happens. Shortly after we broke up, I moved back to Echo Springs.
- What’s the one thing you want out of life that you don’t think you can have? Why can’t you have it?
A family of my own. I don’t come from the greatest upbringing. My mom was an alcoholic and dad lit out before I was five. We’ve not heard from him since. And I worry that it’s not in my makeup, that I don’t have the capacity for it even though I want nothing more.