Investig□t□□s□ear□edthatthegrouphadbeenfriendsfory□□rs,□□□re□en□l□therehadb□ente□sionamo□gthe□.Rumo□sofdisagreementsandar□□□□□tsdu□ing□□etr□pbegantosurf□□e,leadingauth□r□tiest□specula□□whethe□foul□□a□w□□□nvolved.□a□hmemberofthegr□uphadadifferentst□rytotell,□ndthe□n□onsisten□iesintheirac□ount□onlyad□edtothemysteryo□th□mi□singnine. Investigatorsle□r□□d□hattheg□o□phadbee□□rien□□f□ryears,bu□r□centlyther□hadbeentensionamongthem.Rumorsofdisagre□me□tsa□□arg□me□tsd□ringt□etripbegantos□□face,leadingauthorit□e□tospecu□a□e□he□her□oulplaywasinv□lved.Each□emb□ro□thegrouphad□differentstorytote□l,and□hein□onsisten□iesintheiraccountsonlya□d□d□oth□mystery□fthemiss□ngn□ne. Investig□t□rslea□n□dthat□h□grouphad□eenfriendsfory□ar□□b□trecent□□the□ehadbeenten□ionamon□them.□umorsofdisagreementsandargu□entsdurin□th□t□ipbegan□□surf□ce,□ead□ng□uth□ritiestospec□latewhether□oulpl□y□asinvo□ved□Eachm□mberofth□grou□hada□□f□erentsto□ytotell,andtheinconsiste□ciesi□th□iraccountsonlyaddedto□□em□□teryofth□m□ssi□gnine. I□vestigatorsl□arne□thatthegr□upha□beenfr□e□dsforyear□,but□ecen□lytherehadbeentensio□am□ngth□m.Rumorsof□□□agree□entsandargumentsd□ring□het□ipbeganto□urface,□eadingauthor□□i□stospe□ulatewheth□r□oulpla□wasinvolve□.Eachmemberofthegroup□adadi□ferent□toryt□tel□,andth□inconsist□nci□sintheiraccountso□lyad□edtothemy□ter□ofthe□issingnine.