Investig□to□slearne□thatt□egrou□hadbeenfriend□foryea□□,butrecentl□th□rehadbee□tensionamo□gthem.□umorsof□isagree□□ntsandarg□m□ntsduringth□tr□p□eg□ntosurface□leadingauthoritiestospeculatewhe□h□rfoulp□aywa□involve□.Eachmem□erof□hegrou□hadadiffer□ntstory□otell,a□dtheinconsiste□ciesi□theiracc□unt□only□ddedtothemys□er□oft□emissingnine.□□p><□>I□vestigatorslearnedthatthegrouphadbeenfri□nd□forye□□s,butrece□tly□herehadbeent□nsion□mo□gthem.□u□o□s□fdisagreem□nt□and□rgum□n□sdu□i□gthetripbeganto□urfac□,leadin□au□horities□□specul□t□whetherfoulplaywasinvolv□d.Eachmem□erofthe□rouphadadiff□rentst□□□□ote□l,andthei□consis□enciesin□heiracc□u□tsonlya□ded□□themys□eryofthemissingnine. Inv□stigatorsle□□n□dthatthegrouphadb□enfri□□dsforyea□s,butre□ently□□erehadb□entensi□namongthem.Rumor□ofdi□agree□e□tsan□□rguments□uringthetripbegan□osu□face,leadingau□h□ritiestos□eculatewhether□oulplaywasinvolve□□E□chme□beroftheg□ouphadadifferentsto□y□ote□l,and□heinco□si□□□ncies□ntheiraccount□on□yaddedt□□hemystery□fthem□s□ingnine.□> In□estigator□le□rn□dthatthe□r□□p□a□beenfriendsf□ryears,butrece□tlyther□ha□be□nt□nsionam□□gthem.□umorsofdisag□e□me□tsa□d□rgumentsd□ringt□etripbegantosurface□lea□ingauthoritiesto□pecul□tewhetherfoulpla□wasinvol□ed.Eachmemberofthegrouphada□□□ferents□o□yt□□ell,an□the□nc□nsi□tenci□sin□h□□rac□oun□sonly□□dedtothem□steryo□themiss□ngni□e.□>