□nves□iga□orsle□rn□dthatthegrouphad□eenfr□e□dsforye□rs,butrecen□ly□herehadbeenten□ionamongthem.□umo□sofdisagre□mentsandargumen□sduringthetripbegantosur□a□e□□e□□in□autho□itie□tosp□□□□□□ew□ethe□fou□p□aywasinvolved.Eachme□berofthegroupha□□diffe□e□tsto□yt□tell,an□theinco□sist□nciesin□□eiraccountsonlyadde□to□he□ysteryofthemiss□□gnine. Inv□stigatorslea□□edthatthegrouphad□een□r□end□f□ryears□□u□recently□h□rehadbeentens□□nam□n□□hem.Ru□orsofdis□greementsanda□□um□ntsduringthetri□begantosurfac□,□eading□u□horitiestospecul□tewhetherfoulplaywasinvol□□d.□achm□mberoftheg□ou□hadad□fferentstoryto□el□,an□□he□n□onsistenciesinth□iraccountsonl□□□d□d□oth□mysteryoft□□m□ssingnine.□><□□Investigato□sle□rnedthatthegrouphadbeenfriendsfo□yea□s,□□t□ec□ntly□□□rehadbeen□en□i□namon□t□em□Rumor□of□□sagreementsandarguments□uringthetripbeg□ntosurf□ce□leadingau□horitiest□speculat□whethe□foulplaywa□in□olv□d□Ea□hmemb□ro□thegroupha□adiffer□□tstory□otell□and□heinc□n□i□tenc□es□□their□c□ountsonlyaddedtothem□ste□yo□themissingnine.<□□> Investigat□rsl□arnedth□ttheg□ouphad□□□nfriendsfor□ears,butrecentlyt□er□ha□b□ente□sionamongt□em.Rumorso□di□ag□eeme□tsandargumentsdu□□ngt□□tripbega□tosur□ace,leadingauthoritie□tospe□ulatewheth□rfoulpla□was□nvol□□d.□ach□e□be□□fthegr□uphada□□fferentstoryto□ell□andtheinconsistenciesintheiraccou□□□on□y□dded□ot□emy□□eryofthemis□ingnine.□> Inv□s□iga□orslearne□thatthegro□p□a□b□en□riendsforyea□s,butrecentl□therehadb□□nt□n□ion□□□ngthem.□u□orsofdi□agreementsandargumentsduringt□etripbegantos□r□ac□□leadingau□hor□tiest□sp□cu□atewh□the□foulpl□ywasinvo□ved.E□□hme□beroft□egro□ph□dadifferent□tory□otell,□ndtheincon□ist□□c□□sintheiracc□□ntsonlya□dedtothemy□teryofth□missin□nine.