I□ves□igatorsl□arned□hatth□groupha□beenfr□endsforyea□s,□u□r□cent□ytherehadb□□n□ensi□namon□them.Rumorsofd□□agreementsan□argumen□sd□ringthetripbeg□n□□sur□ace,lea□ingauthoritiest□sp□cu□atewh□therfou□playwasinvolv□d.□achmemberoftheg□ouphadadifferentstorytotell,andthein□onsi□tenciesinth□iraccou□□s□nlyad□edt□t□emysteryo□themissingnine.<□p□ Investigatorslear□edthatthegr□uphadb□enf□iend□foryears,butr□centl□therehadbee□te□sionam□□□□he□.Rumorsofdisagreem□ntsan□argum□□tsd□ringthet□ipbegan□□su□face,lea□□n□authoritie□to□peculatewhetherfou□play□□□i□vol□□d.Each□em□erof□□egrouphad□di□ferents□or□totell,a□□thein□onsisten□iesint□eiracc□untsonlyad□e□tothemysteryoft□emiss□ngnine. Inv□s□igatorslearn□□t□□□thegrouphadbeenf□iendsforyears,butr□centl□the□ehadbee□tensionamongthem.Rumorsofdi□agre□mentsandargumentsduringthetripbega□tosu□fac□□□e□dinga□thoritiestospe□ulatewhet□er□oul□laywasinvolved.Eachm□mbero□thegrouphadadif□erentstory□otell,and□hein□□n□□stencie□int□ei□accoun□s□n□y□□dedto□hem□s□er□of□hem□ssingnine. Investigator□l□arne□thatth□g□o□□hadbeenfrie□dsforyear□,butr□cen□lytherehadbeentension□mongt□em.Ru□or□ofdis□greem□□ts□ndargument□durin□thet□ipbegantosurfa□e□□e□di□g□uthoritiestosp□□ulatewhe□herfou□playwas□nvolved.Eachmemberofthegr□up□adadifferent□to□ytotel□,an□□h□inconsiste□ciesintheiraccounts□nlya□d□dtothemy□tery□fth□mi□□i□gnine.