In the short story The Case of the Perfect Maid, Mr Meek is the chemist's assistant in St. Mary Mead. He walks out with Clara, Mrs Price-Ridley's maid. This is how the village finds out that Dr Haydock prescribed a "mixture of asafoetida and valerian" for Emily Skinner. According to Mr Meek, this is "the stock remedy for malingerers in the army".