The Bullet That Missed

The bullet from the title The Bullet That Missed takes on several symbolic meanings in the novel. In both cases, it represents a threat to a friend’s life. Andrew sends Bethany a bullet with Mike’s name on it. This indicates that Andrew, “someone with a heart cold enough to send her a bullet” (389), will kill Bethany’s friend if she reveals that he is part of the VAT fraud. The other bullet is the one Elizabeth doesn’t use on Viktor, the “bullet fired directly into the ceiling” (234). Henrik threatens to kill Joyce if Elizabeth doesn’t kill Viktor, so Elizabeth pretends to kill him. Her deception is revealed to Henrik by the bullet being in the ceiling, rather than the wall (where it would have been if she had actually shot Viktor).

Another important symbol is the medal that Chris and Donna receive at the Kent Police Awards ceremony. The medals represent that they are “Highly Commended in the Line of Duty” (345). Andrew pulls out and touches Chris’s medal before the ceremony where it is officially presented. This was shortly after Andrew killed Jack, so the “cute, shiny badge and the cute, velvet pouch” (403) holds the DNA evidence that will ensure that Andrew is charged with murder in addition to fraud.