Roman a Clef Thriller Features a Thinly Disguised Tom Metzger

You’ve seen the reams of newspaper stories.

And the endless coverage on the television news. And his very own cable TV talk show.

Are you ready for Tom Metzger the Novella?

It’s true. Or, as the author says, at least 75% true.

Under the nom de typewriter James McDonnah Slade, one-time Metzger neighbor Mike Kelley has written “The Mysterious Billy Glass,” a slim novel thick with blood and guts. And a mean-eyed, toupee-wearing character named Tim Mengal: “Local Nazi extraordinaire, race baiter, white supremacist and one-time candidate for Congress in our district.”

Who also heads ARM (Americans, Remove Minorities), has a son who started a riot on the Geraldo Rivera show, and just lost a $10-million lawsuit in Idaho for provoking a race murder.

Kelley, 46, says he met Metzger when they both were television repairmen in Fallbrook. He says he got close to Metzger, decided he was pond scum and passed some information about him to the cops.

After two decades in North County, Kelley moved recently to Atascadero. In 1983, he was fired for drug use by United Parcel Service in San Marcos; he claims he was set up by the feds.

His book is self-published, under the Armchair Hoodlum Books label. Advertised in “Soldier of Fortune” and teeming with druggies, skinheads, Mexican Mafiosi, Hell’s Angels and an anti-hero named Billy Glass.

“There are no good guys in my book,” Kelley said. “The racists are rotten, the Mexican criminals are rotten, the cops are rotten. Billy Glass is just the least rotten. He’s been called my alter ego.”

Kelley connects Mengal to lots of hideous crimes that Metzger has never been accused of. He sent an advance copy to Metzger, hoping to stir him up and get some publicity.

Metzger says he barely remembers Kelley. He’s unruffled by the book.

“In my line of work,” Metzger said, “you’ve got to have a sense of humor.”

Inside Info

Believe it or not.

* We all know that psychics are just silly, right?

Yes, but Escondido psychic Kelly Roberts was able to tell things to the San Diego police about one of the Clairemont killings that were not public knowledge:

That the victim had recently had an abortion, that the victim was found in a hallway, that the killer had kicked in the back door.

So says homicide Lt. Dan Berglund, in a confidential internal affairs report.

* How angry is the San Diego City Council over the $100,000 sex scandal?

Council members say that, if John Lockwood was still city manager, they’d have asked for his resignation for approving the secret settlement.

* Hollywood calling.

Since being profiled by Times reporter John Glionna as the surfer-priest, the Rev. Bruce Orsborn has been in heavy demand.

The 35-year-old Orsborn has received movie feelers from Warner Bros., Republic Pictures, Carolco Pictures (“Rambo”) and several independent filmmakers.

Roscoe Born, star of the TV soap “Santa Barbara,” visited Orsborn at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Chula Vista. Also phoning: “A Current Affair,” Jane Pauley and the National Enquirer.

So far, Father Rad is listening but has made no commitments.

* In San Diego researching a book on U.S.-Mexico border problems: Lydia Chavez, a former New York Times reporter now teaching journalism at UC Berkeley.

* Why all those pictures of Oliver North at the San Diego Police Department?

Because North stopped by recently to see Chief Bob Burgreen and was swamped with requests to pose for Polaroids.

A Stone Left Unturned

Lifestyle imperils job style.

The Sheriff’s Department has just suspended a deputy for allegedly conducting a small drug deal on duty. Termination proceedings are possible.

The brass looked at his personnel file to see if they may have overlooked something. They had.

There in his job application was his admission that occasional drug use was part of his “lifestyle.”