Murder in Winter

The Answer

"L-Lia?" I stammered. "I-it was her?"
"It does make sense," Hartness nodded. "We ruled her out mostly based on the fact she seemingly had no motive; assuming this is the same Lia, then this gives her all the motive in the world!" I agreed. The school was coming into view, what would we do?
"I'll call the police," Melody's voice snapped me back out of my thoughts. I nodded firmly, my eyes locking in place with hers.
"Tell them to come to the main hall ASAP. We'll get her to come with us."
After a quick stop to the toilets to change into school uniform, they followed me up to French, where the rest of the class, including Lia, were sat, watching the whiteboard with increasing boredom. I gestured to the others to wait here, out of sight, before knocking on the door and entering upon Madam's "welcome."
"Miss, so sorry I'm late however I was at Ivy's funeral, as you know. Also, I have been asked by the head to escort Lia to the main hall downstairs."
"Do you know how long for?" she asked. "I was not informed."
"I'm not sure, however I'm sure it's urgent."
She nodded to Lia, who raised herself from her seat and cautiously came over to me. As soon as she was in the corridor, I shut the door and she gasped upon noticing the others waiting there.
"Lia, can you follow us?" Hartness asked, beginning to saunter down the corridor.
"W-why?" she breathed, shocked and puzzled. "What does the head want?"
"You put on a good show," April smirked. "But we can see through it, you know."
"W-what are y-you talking about? W-where are you taking me?"
"We just need to talk," Hartness said in a rush, shooting a death glare at April.
We half-forced Lia down the chilly staircase and towards the hall door, ignoring her fake-innocent questions about this and that. I led the others forward until we were through the doors, where the police were waiting and Danny slammed the door shut behind us.
"Hello, children," the tall thin police officer from last time greeted. "I believe I know some of you from last time I was here. I am police constable White. I have heard that you have solved the case yet again."
I nodded. "Sir we have reason to believe that the culprit responsible for the dead of Ivy is... Lia," I announced, followed by a surprised gasp and a loud choke of a sob.
"N-no. It wasn't- I-I wouldn't-"
"No-you would!" Danny growled, anger visible in his voice. "And you did," he snapped, his words like poison.
"Explain."
"Well," I turned to the policeman. "Gossip stated quite clearly that the only people with the opportunity to carry out the murder were Azzy, Jay, Michael and Lia."
"It couldn't have been anyone from another form because they wouldn't have known that Ivy was outside for that particular time," Hartness explained, stepping forward. "This also told us that it couldn't have been planned."
"We had motives for all of the remaining suspects except Lia, and they all bought a new compass except Azzy and Lia," Alex continued.
"However this morning we were at the victim's funeral, and she left me something that changed all that." I pulled the book from my bag. "Look, here it tells of something that gives her all the motive in the world." His eyes went from curious, to confused, to shocked as he read the cursive writing on the shown page. "Did you do it?"
I was expecting to have to argue and put up with a load of denial but instead of raising her voice, Lia simply whispered: "yes. Yes I did."
"Please just tell me how you got her to come over to the bush," I pleaded.
"I didn't get her. She came over herself. Actually, she brought me over. I think she wanted to apologise so that it wasn't awkward around you all later on, but-well-" she trailed off.
"But what?" Danny said slowly-dangerously slowly-and sternly.
"But I...I was so blinded by my lifelong loathing for her that I ignored her. And when I felt the smooth metal of my new compass that I'd meant to put in my pencil case, I...lashed out. I forgot about the compass until later on, when Summer mentioned the maths test."
"So you used the excuse of returning a book to buy one undercover," I finished. "Why put so much effort in?"
She shrugged and gave a sad smile. "I'm a Leo- I can hold a grudge for a while...a long while."
"Why?" I began, only to be interrupted.
"You cannot even begin to comprehend the misery she put me through!" she yelled, whipping around so quickly that her long hair smacked into my face. "She and Crystal used to be my best friends!-but of course it didn't last. One day they turned on me, and I was forced to aim for invisibility. But I was denied the honour of even that. Eventually I surrendered. I'd had enough. I went to the toilets and...well..." She pulled up her sleeves and I willing turned my head away. I returned my gaze as I heard a soft thud. Lia was sat on a chair, tears steadily rolling down her face.
I glared down at her; she wasn't resisting: who was she? I thought I knew but now I'm stuck. I hardly remember her name. "Why?" I asked. "Why did you think you should do that?"
She smiled, dryly. "I don't know," she whispered. "I just don't know."
Then a rap at the door; police constable White turned to let his fellow detectives in.
"I'm sorry," Lia whispered and the last I heard of her as I turned back was her cries of pain as she pushed her new compass through her own flesh, blood pouring from her fresh wounds parallel to her old scars. Then the colour drained from her face and her head began circling her neck before her eyes rolled up in her head and she flopped off of the chair on top of one of her legs. Blood pooled around her, staining the middle of the dark varnished wooden floor, as we all stood crying and gaping around her. My chest rising and falling as I concentrated on breathing. What had just happened? What had we done?
My mind was filled to the brim with random thoughts about what had just happened. Breathing became hard. Then suddenly, I felt my eyes roll back in my head and everything became black...