I can believe that squirrels might nest under the hood of a car, if the car was parked in a field and never moved but I doubt Casey's car ever stayed parked long enough for squirrels to nest in it.[/QUOTE
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I've had some experience with this. When Casey is talking 'squirrels'...it is a reflexion of her own unconscious. To understand think metophorically. Think symbolically such as what does the idea of having squirels nesting in your 'mind' (auto =self) mean? Squirrells are quarrelsome little creatures hiding and hoarding 'food-information'.
It would suggest her conscience was beginning to bother her and that she could not concentrate. it would mean bits of information were being moved around in a furious manner being stored for future use. Also squirrels are thieves...they steal from birdfeeders...in other words she is stealing the food from her own intuition (intuiion=bird).
She was in a hurry to come up with an excuse fast and against her better judgement made the squirrel scenario up. She had to quickly bury the feelings/thoughts that were coming to the surface, Another way out to keep her mother from slaughtering her psychologically and keep herself from seeing her mothers anguish. Lee in his own way was aiding and abetting her trying to let her come up with a way out. (though I am not so sure he is totally aware of this.) or else he thinks others aren't.
it is a clever trick of Casey's to take the NOW moment and dissapate it into another time line and reference.
That she is trying to implicate her father though is an interesting point.
The two animals most likely to be making a smell in a car would be squirrels or cats.
Hit a squirrel on the road. They don't nest in car engines.
Cats will get under a car hood for the warmth after someone has driven and the car is warm.
Well, hey, we all know this. Why am I typing? LOL