Chapter 20: The Search for Martha’s Daughter
Warning: This analysis contains spoilers for Jigsaw Chapter 20. Proceed only if you’ve read the chapter.
Summary
Chapter 20 unfolds entirely through phone calls. Milo Sturgis calls Alex Delaware to share what he learned from Hans Lieder, an eighty-three-year-old retired homicide detective. Lieder worked with Martha years ago. He had no suspicions about her murder but recalled meeting her daughter once when Martha’s car broke down. He drove Martha to a house-like special school near the Venice canals. The daughter, likely in her early teens, seemed mentally slow, quiet, and a little sad. Lieder also noticed Martha’s compulsive habits—hoarding memos, lining up desk items, and growing annoyed if they were disturbed. He did not know why she later left Homicide.
Alex decides to identify the school. He calls Irwin Baumgarten, a social worker, who immediately names the Kadar Institute, run by Hungarian immigrant physicians Bela and Edith Kadar. The institute served mildly to moderately developmentally disabled children in a structured, humanistic setting and screened out severe behavioral issues. It closed after the founders died. After learning this, Alex asks for current residential facilities for developmentally disabled adults within a two-mile radius of Martha’s home. Irwin provides a list of four places, and Alex prepares to follow up.
Key Events
- Milo calls Alex with findings from retired detective Hans Lieder.
- Lieder recounts driving Martha to pick up her mentally slow daughter from a Venice special school.
- Lieder describes Martha’s compulsive desk-organizing behavior and hoarding.
- Alex calls social worker Irwin Baumgarten to identify the school.
- Irwin identifies the Kadar Institute and explains its focus on mild-to-moderate disabilities and its closure.
- Irwin confirms that the institute screened out children with aggressive behavior.
- At Alex’s request, Irwin supplies addresses of four current residential facilities for developmentally disabled adults near the crime scene.
Character Development
- Alex Delaware demonstrates his methodical approach, using his professional network to trace obscure institutional leads. His calm persistence pushes the investigation forward.
- Milo Sturgis shows his diligence in tracking down an elderly, out-of-state witness. His skepticism about the daughter’s involvement is tempered but unresolved.
- Martha (the victim) emerges through others’ memories as a sharp, extremely detail-oriented detective whose private compulsions spilled into her workspace. The revelation of her daughter’s developmental disability adds hidden complexity to her personal life.
- Martha’s daughter remains unnamed, but we learn she attended a specialized school and exhibited quiet, possibly sad behavior. The chapter carefully avoids labeling her violent, preserving ambiguity about her role.
- Irwin Baumgarten appears as a knowledgeable and cooperative contact, offering credible institutional history and current resources.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Hidden Lives and Public Masks: Martha’s obsessive orderliness and secret daughter contrast with her professional competence, illustrating how people compartmentalize private struggles.
- Limits of Perception: Both Lieder and Irwin observed only compliant, non-aggressive behavior, yet Martha is dead. The chapter questions whether surface impressions can predict violence.
- The Persistence of the Past: Even a long-closed school becomes a key clue, emphasizing how historical details matter in solving present crimes.
- Developmental Disability and Vulnerability: The focus on special education and adult care facilities highlights societal responsibilities and the vulnerabilities of this population.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter functions as a pivot from vague suspicion to concrete leads. By identifying the Kadar Institute and its mission, Alex eliminates the possibility of a highly aggressive daughter—at least based on institutional screening. Yet the murder remains unexplained. The list of four nearby residential facilities sets up the next investigative step, transforming the hunt for the disheveled woman into a search for an adult with a known history. Simultaneously, Martha’s compulsive traits deepen her characterization, suggesting possible hidden stressors. The chapter maintains tension by swapping one set of assumptions for a more nuanced but still open-ended picture.
Study Questions and Answers
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What did Hans Lieder reveal about Martha’s daughter, and why is it significant? Lieder said she seemed mentally slow, quiet, and a bit sad, and he met her at a special school in Venice. This is significant because it provides the first solid link between Martha and a developmentally disabled child, shaping the investigation’s direction away from random violence toward a personal motive.
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How does the Kadar Institute’s philosophy influence Alex’s thinking about the daughter? Irwin Baumgarten notes the institute screened out severe behavioral problems and served only mildly to moderately slow learners. This makes it less likely—though not impossible—that the daughter had aggressive antisocial tendencies, forcing Alex to consider other explanations for Martha’s murder.
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Why does Alex ask for a list of current residential facilities, and what does it suggest about his next move? He asks for facilities within two miles of Martha’s home to locate the daughter, who is now an adult. It suggests he plans to visit or investigate these places to find the woman seen near the crime scene, turning a vague witness sighting into a concrete search.