The case of the missing lunch box / science project

Petri dishes

All was calm for the next four days. On the 3rd day the judging started. This was where the judges along with anyone else could roam the stalls observing each admission. There were two days of roaming then the judges would make their decision. Friday was minding the stall while Ian looked around at the other stalls. Charlie nervously came up to Friday.

"Hey, you solve mystery's, right?" she asked.

"Yeah" Friday said glancing up from her book.

"Well, I have one if you want" Charlie stammered rocking back and forth on her feet.

"Sure, I'd like one" Friday replied, she put her book down "Ian" she yelled.

Ian spun round from a nearby stall "Yeah what" He cried approaching the two girls.

"I need you to mind the stall while I help Charlie" Friday thought for a second "Actually no, I need you to come with me."

"Does he have to come" Charlie whispered.

Ian made a look of mock defense "Who dare you."

"Of course, he always does" Friday said "where's Harvey" she asked noticing he wasn't with Charlie.
"He's caught a cold." Charlie groaned. She was clearly annoyed by this.

"I told him not to play soccer in just a singlet" Ian muttered shaking his head in disappointment.

"Ok lead me to the scene of the crime" Friday ordered.

Charlie nodded, surprised at Friday's sudden force of authority.

"Don't have too much fun with this detective" Ian whispered in her ear.

Friday laughed and followed Charlie.

Charlie led them to her stall. Friday looked around and made the immediate observation that Charlie and Harvey were in the running for first place. Their stall was Amazing. It was clean, colorful, and very impressive. There were cardboard models, posters, and what seemed to be an actual experiment in the middle of all of it. This caught Friday's attention. She loved experiments.
"What's your problem" Friday said continuing to look around.

Charlie whispered sternly "Our submission was stolen. It..."

Ian interrupted "What you do you mean it's right there" he gestured to the table containing a cardboard model.

"Oh, I'm sorry did the middle of my sentence interrupt the start of yours" Charlie asked sarcastically.

"Sorry" Ian stuttered. Friday glared at him.

"What was your project about" Friday asked.

"Well, me and my brother got into this fight when I visited her dorm. We..."

"I'm sorry how does this have to do with your science fair project" Ian interrupted.

Charlie turned and glared at him "Do you ever shut up."

Friday shook her head in disappointment "No, no he doesn't."

"Anyway" Charlie continued "my brother's room was a mess. So being the good older sister I am, I told him that he better clean his room before I trap him outside on the football field; during practice time, wearing nothing but his underwear."

"As you do" Ian said sarcastically.

"He got really mad and said he'd bet me 500 bucks that my room was dirtier than his.

I willingly agreed to this and so now it was time to prove my theory. That's when Harvey had the brilliant idea of making our bet into our science project" Charlie stated proudly, she walked over to the cardboard model. "As you can see, I took swabs for 4 different places from each of our rooms, then distributed them in petri dishes with agar gel. I also took swabs from Harvey's room to use as our control. Harvey is surprisingly tidy."

"Wow!" Friday muttered "this is an excellent submission. You've got a good chance of winning."

"I thought that as well, until my control was stolen" Charlie muttered quietly as though she wanted nobody else to hear.

"What," Ian whispered, "but your petri dishes from Harvey's room are still in your model room."

"Those are just plain dishes I put in there for the judging" Charlie said.

"WAIT YOUR CHEATING!" Ian cried. 

"Shhhhhhhh!" Charlie hissed, clapping her hand over his mouth.

"You of all people shouldn't be surprised. You cheat all the time" Friday sneered clapping him on the back of the head.

"Listen I had to cheat. If the judges find out my control is missing, they would have disqualified me." Charlie murmured, collapsing into a chair. She looked really upset.

"Don't worry Charlie we'll find your control" Friday said sympathetically.

A/N: Please vote.