The rumors about L.A. Times “Hero Complex” columnist Geoff Boucher leaving the paper in the wake of Patrick Goldstein‘s departure are unconfirmed and not necessarily true. But it sure smells like something, given surrounding stories and activities.

I heard yesterday morning that the L.A. Times‘ highly regarded and well-connected movie industry reporter John Horn is “on the market” — i.e., has been making discrete inquiries about another gig. But I called and wrote quite a few people about this (Horn included) and couldn’t shake a single apple or even a leaf from any tree, so I let it go. But when you add this to Goldstein’s exit and the Boucher talk, it certainly feels like “something’s happening here.”