  We have fitted ~200 RXTE and INTEGRAL spectra of the neutron star LMXB GX 9+9
from 2002-2007 with a model consisting of a disc blackbody and another
blackbody representing the spreading layer (SL), i.e. an extended accretion
zone on the NS surface as opposed to the more traditional disc-like boundary
layer. Contrary to theory, the SL temperature was seen to increase towards low
SL luminosities, while the approximate angular extent had a nearly linear
luminosity dependency. Comptonization was not required to adequately fit these
spectra. Together with the ~70 degree upper bound of inclination implied by the
lack of eclipses, the best-fitting normalization of the accretion disc
blackbody component implies a distance of ~10 kpc, instead of the usually
quoted 5 kpc.
