I was going to go on a trip, but I was locked out of my apartment, so I went to Lucia Polletta's apartment, to which I had a key.  She wasn't there, but later she came in with a roommate, carrying some groceries.  They were surprised to see me.  There were two guys with them, and one of them, named "Popeye" (from Faulkner's Sanctuary, not the cartoon character) was a real bruiser and worried me.  He was rather surly, too.  In the parking lot outside, I saw Pedro Mendoza in a white Porsche.