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Having been convinced that the protagonist knows more than they really do, the perp returns to the scene of the crime to cover his tracks, little suspecting that the protagonist, the bumbling chief of police and the Channel 7 Action News Team are lying in wait...

Examples (spoiler alert!):

• This is how Columbo solves a significant amount of his cases.
• "Dead" from Law & Order: Criminal Intent
• "Mr. Monk Goes Back to School" from Monk
• Invoked in an early episode of Pokémon.
• On The Aristocats Edgar has to retreive his hat, umbrella and basket from Angry Guard Dogs Napoleon and Lafayette, lest the police find them and link him to the kidnapping of the cats.

Retirony

Crime and Punishment Tropes

Rewind, Replay, Repeat