Ep 16. The Paper Palace

The Paper Palace is the sixteenth episode of the fourth season of the classic detective drama series, The Rockford Files. It originally aired on NBC on January 23, 1978, and was directed by Lawrence Doheny, with Juanita Bartlett as the writer.

The episode opens with Jim Rockford (James Garner) getting a call from an old acquaintance, businessman Jerry Grainger (David Spielberg). Jerry has a problem that he thinks Jim can help him solve: his company, Grainger Paper Products, is on the verge of bankruptcy, and Jerry believes someone is embezzling money from the company. He wants Jim to investigate and find out who is behind the theft.

Jim reluctantly agrees to take the case, and starts his investigation by talking to Jerry's daughter, Tina (Shelley Fabares), who also works for the company. She seems nervous and reluctant to talk, which only makes Jim more suspicious. He then meets with Jerry's accountant, a man named Ross (David Sheiner), who tells him that there has been some irregularity in the company's finances, but he can't be sure if there is embezzlement going on.

Jim starts digging deeper, and talks to some of the employees at Grainger Paper Products. He discovers that many of them are unhappy with the way the company is being run, and that there have been layoffs and pay cuts recently. He also learns that Jerry had recently bought a large plot of land with the company's money, which raises further suspicions.

As Jim gets closer to the truth, he realizes that there are more people involved than he initially thought. He starts receiving threatening phone calls and is followed by an unknown car. He also finds out that Tina is not as innocent as she seems, and that she may be involved in the embezzlement scheme.

In the climactic scene, Jim confronts the person behind the embezzlement and uncovers a shocking truth - the person he thought was the culprit is actually an innocent victim, and the real thief is someone he never suspected.

The Paper Palace is a classic example of The Rockford Files' signature style: a well-written, tightly plotted mystery that keeps the audience guessing until the very end. James Garner is at his best as the wisecracking, down-to-earth private eye, and the supporting cast, including Shelley Fabares and David Sheiner, is excellent as well.

Overall, The Paper Palace is a highly enjoyable episode of The Rockford Files, and a must-watch for fans of classic detective dramas.