Ok so here's my new ' possible' theory. I don't think I've seen it discussed.
Supposing dad does feel guilty because he somehow created the scenario , inadvertently, and now he cannot take it back.
LIKE maybe dad had an old buddy or a complete stranger staying with him recently, perhaps a handyman around the house or a guy down on his luck he's giving a hand up to. ' come and stay with me for a bit, you can go to work with me, make a few bucks, get back on track, etc etc'' . This 2nd person is questionable , at best and dad knows it but he's trying to help a guy out. Maybe this guy drove dad's second truck sometimes to work or for supplies and hung around the house. Then dad says 'my son is coming next week, so you gotta go on down the road'' . Second guy is a little slighted he's got to get out and thinking ugly things. Or maybe this guy is even an RSO but dad didn't know this when he lets him stay or hang around and work on the barn or something. So this is why LE wants a more thorough search and to search these trucks top to back, to gain more info on this ' 2nd person' who has now just vanished right before Dylan comes to dads'.
So this makes LE search everything with fine tooth comb and now Dad could be thinking OMG what have I done? even though he himself did not DO anything but feels remorse over letting this person around at all and thinking he was a shady character.
Is it far fetched? yea, but stranger things have happened.
Thoughts?
Also it struck me awhile back that Dylan is not a big kid for 13. Some 13 yrs olds you can throw over your shoulder and carry off , others not so much. He seems somewhat small build which would make him easier to abduct.