The laptops were giving off an eerie blue glow and the security lights from outside cast strange shadows across the room as they filtered through the blind at Leo's window.

"I'm sure they'll have it fixed up soon," Leo said again.

Nikki went over to the doors and pressed the door release button. Nothing happened.

"Isn't there supposed to be some kind of manual override for these?" she asked.

"Err, yes," said Leo sheepishly. "It's controlled by the emergency generator."

"Fantastic," said Harry sarcastically.

"Well what are the chances of a power cut and a break down to the emergency generator happening at the same time?" Leo asked.

"What about the freezers?" Nikki exclaimed.

"Oh they're on a different system," Leo assured her. "When the generator was installed there was a priority order, budget constraints and all that…"

"So the offices scored pretty low didn't they," Harry surmised.

"These ones did," admitted Leo.

"Shit," muttered Nikki. "We're going to be stuck here until the power comes back on aren't we?" She took out her phone and started punching numbers.

Harry used his own phone as a torch and examined the switches that controlled the doors, but there was no way to open them. He shut off his computer.

"I'm saving my battery, we might need it later," Harry said and smiled up at Nikki. There were worse ways to spend a Friday night he theorised; he was only planning on grabbing a drink on his own. Stuck in his office in a power cut with his two best friends was looking potentially like a better option.

Nikki made her way back to her desk and closed her laptop too.

"I'm starving," she announced. "Do you think they could deliver pizza through Leo's window?"

"Not without a long ladder," Leo laughed.

"Isn't there still birthday cake?" Harry said, using his phone light to guide him to the kitchen area. The automatic switch off, kept plunging him into total darkness and there was the sound of much scuffling and swearing but he eventually returned with three plates, the cake and a few other still edible food products from the fridge. He felt his way over to his desk and pulled some sweets out of the bottom drawer.

"A veritable feast," he announced placing it all down on Leo's desk. His office had the most light; being lit up from the outside by the security lights.

Leo produced a bottle of wine from his desk.

"Oh," exclaimed Harry. "I'll go get the glasses shall I?" Not really relishing the journey back to the kitchen area.

"I'll go," said Nikki, opening an app on her phone, so she would have light the whole way there and back again.

Harry inwardly kicked himself for being so stupid.

The rain really was pouring down, and the rumbles of thunder could still be heard, but none as close as the one earlier. Leo had tried ringing the power company, but all he got was a newly recorded message confirming that the lightning had caused power cuts across the area, and that technicians would rectify the situation as soon as it was possible.

"Look's like we'll be stuck here for a while," Leo said. "We'll have to think of something to do."

"What other than break this case?" Harry retorted. "Did you tell Williams he hasn't got the right crime scene?"

"No, I'll do it now," Leo said and fished out his phone.

"This cake isn't bad," Nikki admitted. "Have you had some?"

"I was hoping to," Harry replied cheekily and received a backhanded slap to his stomach. Even in the striped light of Leo's office, he'd seen it coming and caught her hand before she'd made contact.

"Watch it you two," Leo said. "If we are going to be stuck here for an hour or so, I don't want to spend it refereeing World War III with you two bickering."

"We don't bicker," Harry exclaimed.

"We do," Nikki giggled.

"What shall we do then?" she asked when Leo finally got off the phone. "Swap ghost stories, storm stories, sing camp fire songs?" she suggested.

Leo poured the wine and passed a glass to each of them singing as he did so:

"Don't know why, there's no sun up in the sky?

Stormy weather, just can't get myself together

Keeps raining all the time…"

It was reasonably tuneful, but no one would ever describe his voice as rich.

"Enough!" shouted Harry, or else Williams will be finding the Lyell Centre a new crime scene when he can finally get in.

Nikki's wine rocked in her hands with her laughter.

"You are really grouchy this evening. I didn't think you had plans," Nikki said.

"So," he retorted and stuck his tongue out at her.

"So? What's got into you? Leo's singing's not that bad," she replied.

"If only you knew," he muttered under his breath, but no one heard him because Nikki suddenly shouted:

"YouTube karaoke!" and grabbed Leo's computer, turning it round and lighting up her smiling face.

Harry and Leo groaned, but after a few minutes of trying to connect it was obvious that the WiFi was down too.

"Oh that's a shame," Nikki said sincerely and looked up at Leo.

"I don't know why you're looking at me like that? What are you hoping? That I've got a piano hidden at the back of my drawer too?"

The friends laughed.

"Stormy Weather," toasted Harry and held up his glass trying to sound less grouchy.

"Stormy weather," they repeated, but less enthusiastically than Harry had.

So who's going to have the secret? There are clues...

Stormy Weather: Songwriters HAROLD ARLEN, TED KOEHLER