□□vestigatorslearn□d□hatth□gr□uphadbeenfri□nds□or□ear□,butrece□tlyt□erehadbeentension□mo□gth□m.Rumor□o□disagreementsandargumentsdur□ng□□etr□pbegantosurf□□e,le□dingau□□orit□estospeculatewhetherfoulplaywasinvolved□Ea□□□embe□□fthegro□phadadi□□er□nts□orytotell,andtheinconsistencie□int□eiracc□un□so□lyadde□tot□emysteryofthem□ssingnine□□/p> Investig□t□rslear□e□thatthe□rouph□dbeen□ri□n□sforyear□,□ut□ecentl□□hereh□d□□ente□sio□amongt□em.Rumorso□disa□reement□andargu□□ntsdur□ngthetripbegant□s□r□ace,leadingauthoritiesto□pecu□atew□eth□rf□□lplaywasin□olved.Eachmember□fthegrouph□dadifferents□or□totell,andth□in□onsistenciesintheiraccountso□□yadded□□th□m□stery□ft□emis□ingnine. I□□esti□atorslearn□dthat□hegrouph□dbeenfrie□d□fo□years,□u□recentlyt□ereh□dbeente□□□onamon□□hem.Rum□rsofdisagre□□entsa□dargumentsd□ri□g□h□tr□pbeganto□urface,lea□ingauthorit□es□os□eculatewhetherfoulplaywasinvolved.Ea□hm□m□eroftheg□ouphadadifferentstorytot□ll,□ndth□in□□nsistenci□sintheir□ccountsonlyaddedtothe□ysteryofth□missingnine.□□ In□□stigatorslea□nedt□□tt□e□roup□□dbeenfriendsfor□ears,butrecentlytherehadbee□ten□ionamong□hem.□umorsofdisagree□ents□nda□□umentsd□ringthe□ri□began□osurfac□,□ea□ingau□h□ritiest□spec□latewhetherfoulplaywasinvolved□Eachmembe□ofth□gr□uphadadif□erentstorytotell,andthei□□□nsistenciesinthei□acco□nts□nlyaddedto□h□mysteryo□t□emiss□ng□ine. Inve□tiga□or□learnedthat□□egroup□adb□e□frien□□f□□years□butre□□ntlytherehad□eenten□io□amongthem.R□m□rsofdisag□eementsanda□gumentsduringt□etr□pbegantos□rface,le□dingauthoritiest□□peculatewhetherfoulp□a□wasinvolv□d.Ea□hmem□□rofthegrouphadadif□erent□toryt□te□l,an□□hein□□n□i□te□cie□int□ei□a□countsonlyaddedtothem□s□e□yo□themissin□nin□.