□□vestigatorslea□ned□hatthe□r□uphadbeenfri□ndsfo□y□ars,but□e□□ntlythereh□dbeentensi□namongthem□□umor□ofdisag□eementsanda□gume□ts□u□ingthetrip□eg□ntosurface,le□dingauthoritiestospec□latewhethe□fo□lplaywasinvolved.Eachmemb□ro□th□gro□phada□i□feren□storyto□ell,andtheinc□n□iste□c□esinthe□□□□cou□tsonlyadde□tothemysteryof□hem□ssingnine. I□□e□tigat□□sle□rnedthatthegro□ph□dbeenfri□ndsforyears,butrecent□□the□e□adbeen□ensionamo□g□h□m□Rumors□f□i□□greementsandargu□entsduringthet□ipbeg□n□osur□ace,lead□ng□u□hori□ies□os□e□u□□tew□□th□rfo□lplaywasinvolved.Each□emberoft□egrouphadad□f□er□ntstor□totell,andtheincon□□stenciesinthe□raccountson□yaddedtothemy□teryoft□em□ssi□gnine. Investi□at□rslearnedthatthe□rouphadbeenfriendsforyears,but□ecently□herehad□e□ntensionam□ngt□em.Rum□rsofdisag□eeme□tsa□dargumentsduringthetri□□egantosurface□leadingaut□oriti□s□ospeculatewhe□herfo□lplaywas□nvolv□d.□achmember□fthegrouphadadiffer□□tstoryt□te□l,andt□ein□onsistenciesinthei□acc□unts□nlyadd□dto□hemysteryofthemissingnine.□> I□vest□g□□or□le□rnedth□tthegrouphadbee□fr□e□dsforyear□,butrec□ntlyther□hadbeen□ensio□among□hem.R□morsofdisagree□en□sand□rgum□□tsduringthetri□began□osu□□a□e,lead□ngaut□or□t□est□spe□u□ate□□e□□erfoul□l□y□□sinv□lved.E□chmemberofthegrouphadadi□f□ren□s□orytotell,andth□inconsistenci□sin□heirac□ounts□□lyad□edtoth□mys□er□of□hemissingn□ne.