<□>I□vestigat□r□□□arnedthatt□egr□uphadbeen□riend□forye□rs□butrec□□tlyth□rehadbee□t□n□io□amongt□em.Rumorsofdisagr□emen□s□n□arg□ment□duringt□etripb□□antosur□□ce,le□dinga□t□oritiestospe□□late□hether□o□lplaywasinvolved□□achm□□berofthegroupha□adiffer□ntstorytot□ll□a□dth□incon□□stencie□inthe□raccountsonlyadd□dtothemysteryofthem□s□□ngn□ne.<□p> <□>Investigato□slearn□dthatthegr□uphadbee□fri□□□s□or□ears,butrecentlytherehadbeente□s□onamongthem.Rumorsofd□sagreem□ntsand□□g□mentsdur□ng□hetr□□be□antosurface,leadingau□h□rit□estospec□latewhetherfoulplaywa□□n□olved.Eachmember□fth□grouph□dad□ffe□e□tstor□to□□ll,andthein□□nsistenciesin□□□ir□ccou□ts□nlyaddedtot□emys□eryofthe□issingnine.<□□> Inves□igator□learnedt□atth□group□adb□en□rien□sfo□y□ars,□utrecentlyth□reh□dbe□□t□n□ionamongt□em.Ru□orsofd□s□g□□eme□tsandar□umentsduringthetripbegantos□rface,l□adi□gauthorit□est□speculatewhe□her□oulplayw□si□□olved.Ea□□mem□erofthegrou□hadadif□e□ents□or□t□tell,a□d□heinconsiste□ciesinthe□raccountso□lyaddedtoth□my□teryofthe□□ssingnine.<□p> I□ves□i□a□orslearnedthat□heg□oup□adbeenfriendsfory□ar□□butrece□tly□herehad□□□ntensionamong□h□m.Rumorsofdi□□greement□a□dargumentsduringthetripbeganto□□rface,le□dingauthoritiesto□□eculatewhetherfoulplaywasinvolved.E□chme□be□ofthegrouphadadifferentsto□□□o□ell,andth□inc□nsistencies□□theiraccountsonlyadded□othemy□teryofthemissingnin□.