The data was glaringly obvious. Massive spikes in kilowatt-hour usage were occurring on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, right around 2:00 PM—times when Marcus was always at the office. Someone, or something, was pulling a tremendous amount of electricity from his grid. He checked the dedicated log for the EV charger. The system recorded multiple charging sessions during those hours. Marcus didn't have a ghost in his machine; he had a thief in his driveway.
Determined to solve the mystery, Marcus decided to work from home on Thursday. He set up his laptop at the kitchen island, which offered a partial view of his driveway through the front windows. At 1:00 PM, he took a break to inspect the charging station.
As he walked down the driveway, he noticed subtle physical evidence that he had previously overlooked. Faint, crisscrossing tire tracks marred the pristine concrete, indicating a vehicle pulling in and backing out at an awkward angle. Furthermore, the heavy, thick black charging cable, which Marcus always looped perfectly around the wall mount, was draped haphazardly over the unit.
Someone was boldly driving onto his property in broad daylight, unwinding his expensive equipment, and stealing his electricity. The sheer audacity of the act left Marcus momentarily speechless. He didn't want to confront a stranger blindly without knowing who they were or what they were driving. He needed a foolproof method to catch them in the act, one that provided undeniable proof. Marcus smiled. As a software engineer, building traps was his specialty.
Before Marcus could implement his digital trap, he needed to understand the neighborhood dynamics. Maplewood Estates had a very active Homeowners Association, unofficially run by a woman named Susan. Susan was in her late forties, sporting a sharply cut blonde bob, oversized designer sunglasses, and an attitude of supreme entitlement. She drove a brand-new, pristine white luxury electric SUV.