Invest□gato□sl□□rnedthatthegrou□ha□been□riendsforyears,butrecent□yt□erehadb□entensiona□□ng□□□m.□□mors□fdisagr□ementsandargument□duringthet□ipbegantosurfac□,leadingau□□oritiest□specula□ew□eth□rfo□lpl□ywasinvo□□e□.E□c□memberofthegrouphadadi□f□rentstor□□otell,an□the□nconsistenciesintheiraccountso□lyad□edtoth□□yste□yoft□□missingnine. I□□estiga□orsle□rned□□att□egrouph□□b□enfriend□foryears,bu□re□entlyt□□re□ad□ee□□ens□onamo□gth□□□□umo□so□disagree□□ntsa□dargument□du□ing□hetripbega□to□u□f□ce,□eadingauthoritie□□osp□culat□wheth□rf□ulplayw□sinvolved.Eac□me□be□ofthegr□uphadadifferents□orytotell,andtheinconsistenc□esinthei□accountsonlyaddedtothemysteryofthem□ssin□nine. Investigato□slearnedth□□thegrouphadbe□□□riendsfo□years,butre□□nt□ytherehadb□entensi□na□ongthem.Rumorsofd□□agreementsand□rg□mentsd□ringthetripbegant□sur□ace,leadin□authoritiest□□peculatewh□therfo□lp□aywas□nvolved.Eachmemberoft□egrouphada□□f□erentstorytotell,an□□heinconsi□ten□iesin□h□iraccount□onlya□dedt□the□ysteryoft□emis□i□□nine. □□vest□gato□sle□rnedthatthegroup□ad□eenfrie□□sforyear□,bu□recen□lythereha□be□□tensionam□ngthem.Ru□orsof□i□□greemen□sand□rgumentsduringthetripb□g□□tosurface□le□dingautho□itie□tospe□ulate□h□therfou□playwasin□olved.Eachme□b□r□fthegr□u□hadadif□erentstorytotell□an□theincons□st□nciesin□□ei□□□counts□nl□addedtothemysteryofth□miss□n□nine□□>□□>Inves□igatorsl□ar□edth□tthe□rouphadbeenfriend□forye□rs,bu□rec□n□lyther□hadbeente□sionamongthem.Rumorsof□□□a□re□me□tsandargu□entsduringthetripbeg□ntosurface,lea□ing□uthoritiestosp□culatewh□□herfou□playwasinvolved.Eachmemberofth□□rouphada□ifferentsto□□totell,and□heinconsist□□c□esinth□i□□ccounts□nlya□dedto□hemysteryo□the□is□ingnine.